Department for Transport

Cycling and Walking

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make active travel one of his policy priorities.

Jesse Norman: Active travel will remain one of the Department’s policy priorities. Enabling more people to make their everyday journeys on foot or by cycle can boost local economies as well as delivering significant health and environmental benefits. It can also help people to reduce their travel costs.

Electric Scooters: Pilot Schemes

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when she plans to publish the report on the e-scooter rental trials and the related regulations.

Jesse Norman: The Department will publish a full set of findings from our evaluation of the e-scooter trials in due course. No decisions have been made on the details of the regulations for e-scooters. We will consult before any new arrangements come into force.

Railways: North of England

Paula Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the impact on the economy of the (a) North West of England and (b) Yorkshire and Humber region of not delivering Northern Powerhouse Rail in full.

Huw Merriman: The Department for Transport is currently finalising the business case for Northern Powerhouse Rail. As part of this, we are conducting economic analysis on a range of options including an assessment as to their levelling-up impact on different regions in the North of England.

Taxis: Visual Impairment

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if her Department will introduce mandatory training for taxi and minicab drivers to ensure that people with sight loss are not discriminated against when using those services.

Jesse Norman: The Government has committed to introducing mandatory disability awareness training for taxi and private hire vehicle (PHV) drivers through new National Minimum Standards for licensing authorities when Parliamentary time allows. The Government recently consulted on revised Best Practice Guidance for taxi and private hire vehicle licensing authorities in England, which included a stronger recommendation that every driver is required to complete disability awareness training. The Government’s response to this consultation will be published in due course, along with the final version of the guidance.

Great British Railways

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will publish the results of the public vote on the location of the headquarters of Great British Rail.

Huw Merriman: A decision will be made on the location for the Great British Railways headquarters shortly. We are expecting to announce the winner of the competition, as well as the total number of votes cast.

High Speed 2 Line: Finance

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on levels of funding for the HS2 project.

Huw Merriman: The Secretary of State has not had any recent meetings with the Chancellor of the Exchequer about HS2 Funding

High Speed Two: Public Appointments

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he expects a new Chair of HS2 Ltd to be appointed.

Huw Merriman: The appointment of the HS2 Ltd Chair is a live recruitment process, therefore for confidentiality reasons the details cannot be disclosed. The process is robust and has been undertaken in line with the Governance Code on Public Appointments. Ministers will be taking a decision as soon as possible.

High Speed Two: Public Appointments

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent steps his Department has taken in the process of appointing a Chair for HS2 Ltd.

Huw Merriman: The appointment of the HS2 Ltd Chair is a live recruitment process, therefore for confidentiality reasons the details cannot be disclosed. The process is robust and has been undertaken in line with the Governance Code on Public Appointments. Ministers will be taking a decision as soon as possible.

Railways: Cleaning Services

Paula Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the cost is to (a) her Department and (b) train operating companies of outsourced cleaning contracts across the rail network.

Huw Merriman: Specific data on outsourced cleaning contracts entered into by train operating companies is not held centrally by DfT. We estimate that the 14 DfT train operating companies spend a total of around £100 million per annum on outsourced cleaning (excluding Network Rail costs).

Railways: Tickets

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to advance a programme of single ticketing across the railways.

Huw Merriman: We have been clear in the Plan for Rail we want to simplify the current mass of complicated fares and tickets, whilst protecting affordable turn up and go tickets and season tickets. We continue to develop trials to facilitate the ambition for simpler fares, including single leg pricing, to deliver better value and flexibility for passengers. We launched a trial of single leg pricing on a number of LNER routes in 2020 and this fare structure is still in operation on those routes.

TransPennine Express

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of service provided by TransPennine Express.

Huw Merriman: The Department’s Rail North Partnership with Transport for the North monitors TPE’s current performance and service levels and has regular discussions about this and how to improve services to better meet the needs of passengers

Avanti West Coast and TransPennine Express

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment has she made of the impact of reduced service levels by Avanti West Coast and TransPennine Express on local regional economies served by those operators.

Huw Merriman: While no such assessment of the recent timetable reductions has been made, the Department recognises the importance of a high performing railway in contributing to growth for local regional economies. The priority remains the restoration of Avanti West Coast and TransPennine services to better support communities and local businesses along these routes.

Great British Railways

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, for how long she plans to retain the shortlist of potential headquarters for Great British Railways announced on 5 July 2022.

Huw Merriman: A final decision will be made on the location for the GBR headquarters shortly.

Great British Railways

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to communicate the reasons for the delay in advancing Great British Railways' new headquarters to local authorities.

Huw Merriman: A decision will be made on the location of the Great British Railways headquarters in due course.

Great British Railways

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what changes are being made to plans for Great British Railways.

Huw Merriman: We remain committed to reforming our railways, improving journeys for passengers and creating a better, more modern UK rail industry.

Great British Railways

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the impact of delaying Great British Railways on (a) rail passengers, (b) operators and (c) other rail industry stakeholders.

Huw Merriman: Whilst we will not be taking forward primary legislation on rail reform in this session due to pressures on Parliamentary time, the Great British Railways Transition Team is already in place. We will continue to work with the sector to address the challenges facing the railway ahead of legislation.

Transport: Finance

Ben Bradley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans she has to reintroduce funding for small transport projects, similar to the previous Pinch Points Fund that was announced prior to the pandemic but not completed.

Huw Merriman: In 2020 the government announced a £4.8 billion Levelling Up Fund (LUF) to invest in local infrastructure that has a visible impact on people and their communities, including local transport schemes across the UK. LUF superseded previous local growth funding streams in England and any local authority, including local highway authorities, Combined Authorities, and those in the Devolved nations, may bid into the fund. In Round 1 of LUF, in October 2021, bids to the value of £1.69 billion were successful. The next round of grants are due to be awarded in autumn 2022. Further information on the Government’s plans for public spending will be set out in due course.

Railways: Finance

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what his planned timetable is for the publication of an updated iteration of the Rail Network Enhancements Pipeline.

Huw Merriman: We are rightly taking the proper time to review the rail enhancements portfolio and ensure that the schemes within it reflect the priorities of the government. We will review the RNEP update, including the timeframe for publication, following the Autumn Statement in November.

Railways: Cleaning Services

Paula Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the cost has been to (a) her Department and (b) train operating companies of cleaning services across the rail network provided by Atalian Servest.

Huw Merriman: The Department does not have a direct contractual relationship with Atalian Servest for cleaning services on rail. We are unable to share the cost of contracts train companies may have in operation with Atalian Servest as these will be subject to commercial considerations.

Avanti West Coast

Paula Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when her Department last met with Avanti to discuss scheduling and booking problems on the West Coast mainline.

Huw Merriman: On a daily basis officials meet with Avanti to understand operational challenges, alongside ad hoc meetings on specific issues. In addition to this DFT officials meet Avanti West Coast senior management on a weekly basis to discuss and review their recovery plan and management of key risks.

Department for Transport: Capital Investment

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the ten highest areas of programmed capital expenditure under the control of his Department will be during the spending review period from 2022-23 to 2024-25; and how much programme expenditure will be allocated to each area during that period.

Huw Merriman: The Autumn Budget and Spending Review 2021, published on the Gov.UK website, includes a breakdown of the Department for Transport Spending Review settlement from 2022-23 to 2024-25.https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1043689/Budget_AB2021_Web_Accessible.pdf A more up to date and detailed breakdown of the departments spending plans for future years is also included in the Annual Report and Accounts.Annual Report and Accounts 2021–22 (publishing.service.gov.uk)

Railways: Fleetwood

Cat Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether it is his Department's policy to reopen the railway to Fleetwood.

Huw Merriman: Development work is ongoing for the Fleetwood project and is currently being undertaken by Network Rail to explore potential service, mode and station options, in addition to assessing the strategic and economic viability of the scheme. As with all proposed infrastructure projects, the scheme will undergo a series of investment decisions before full delivery. A decision on Fleetwood’s next funding approval point is expected next year.

Aircraft: Safety

Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the revocation of Section 85 of the Civil Aviation Act 1982 in 2004, whether the framework governing aircraft safety in the UK (a) is contained in secondary instruments or other regulations and (b) constitutes retained EU law.

Mr Richard Holden: The majority of aviation safety requirements are contained in retained EU law. However some aviation activities, mainly related to very light aircraft and smaller airports, are excluded from the scope of the retained EU law. These activities are regulated under the Air Navigation Order 2016.

Air Routes: Belfast

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions he has had with the CAA in relation to the Belfast City to London Heathrow direct Aer Lingus route.

Mr Richard Holden: Department for Transport officials have engaged extensively with the CAA on the exceptional arrangements adopted in the wake of EU exit. The UK Government put in place transitional arrangements to temporarily accommodate EU carriers operating domestic UK air services, such as Aer Lingus. The CAA has been working with the airline on sustainable long-term solutions for the route, I hope the airline can continue to work on these solutions and return to the route in due course. In the meantime, I’m pleased to see that connectivity within the Union has been maintained with British Airways picking up the capacity left by Aer Lingus.

Driving Tests: Whitchurch

Helen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress has been made on opening a driving test centre at Whitchurch Civic Centre in the last six months.

Helen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to reduce the driving test backlog in (a) Shropshire and (b) across the UK.

Mr Richard Holden: The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has received an informal offer to use Whitchurch Civic Centre but there are a number of factors that need to be resolved before an agreement can be reached, including a change of use planning application. Driving tests were disrupted during the pandemic. The DVSA is working hard to increase the number of practical driving test appointments across Great Britain, including Shropshire. Measures in place to do this include:recruiting more than 300 driving examiners;offering a national recovery allowance and annual leave buy back to driving examiners;asking all those qualified to conduct tests, but who do not do so as part of their current day job, to return to conducting tests where capacity allows;conducting out of hours testing (such as on public holidays and weekends); andresuming the number of driving tests per day to seven for each full-time examiner.

A1079

Sir Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits to the economy of the Yorkshire and the Humber region of further improvements to the A1079, including (a) improving sections of the A165 and A614 and (b) dualling parts of the A15 between Lincoln and Scunthorpe; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Richard Holden: The roads raised by the Right Honourable Gentleman are the responsibility of local highway authorities – Lincolnshire County Council, North Lincolnshire Council and the East Riding of Yorkshire Council. It is for those authorities to prioritise areas of their networks for improvements, and to seek funding, if required. A scheme to improve the A1079 at Wilberfoss is in the Department’s Major Road Network programme. Earlier this year, officials reviewed a strategic outline business case submitted by East Riding of Yorkshire Council and we are waiting for the Council to respond to a number of clarification questions. Once these are resolved, advice will be provided to Ministers on whether the business case for the scheme should be developed further. An additional scheme, the A164 Jock's Lodge Junction Improvement Scheme which would improve the A164/A1079 junction, is also in our programme of Local Authority promoted schemes. The full business case is scheduled to be submitted in late December 2022.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Energy: Meters

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will make it his policy to instruct OFGEM to declare a moratorium on energy pre-payment meters.

Graham Stuart: Prepayment meters enable customers to control and budget for the amount they spend and help mitigate the risk of going into, or exacerbating, existing debt. Ofgem’s Licence Conditions require suppliers to consider all options for appropriate debt management. This can include installing a prepayment meter but suppliers have to consider whether this is safe and practicable, including whether a prepayment meter is appropriate for the specific customer. Ofgem rules restrict the imposition of a prepayment meter on those in arrears, except as a last resort.

Hospitality Industry: Energy

Kirsten Oswald: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of rising energy costs on hospitality businesses; and what steps his Department is taking to help support (a) pubs, (b) restaurants and (c) other hospitality venues with rising energy costs.

Graham Stuart: The costs of gas and electricity that energy suppliers buy on customers’ behalf is forecast to remain high. The Government is taking immediate action on a scale similar to the measures taken during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Government has introduced the Energy Bill Relief Scheme to support non-domestic energy customers this winter, including pubs, restaurants, and other hospitality venues on eligible contracts. The scheme will initially run for 6 months covering energy use from 1st October 2022 until 31st March 2023.

Energy: Meters

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy, what discussions he has had with the Information Commissioner's Office on (a) the collection of personal smart meter data and (b) compatibility of that collection with commitments on privacy.

Graham Stuart: The Government worked with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) to establish a strict Data Access and Privacy Framework for smart metering that protects consumers’ privacy. The Government continues to work with the ICO to ensure that it is complying with statutory duties in relation to smart and traditional meter data.

Energy: Meters

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will take steps with Ofgem to require power suppliers to not (a) encourage and (b) force customers to accept a prepayment meter.

Graham Stuart: Ofgem rules restrict the force fitting of a prepayment meter to repay debt except as a last resort. Ofgem’s License Conditions require suppliers to consider all options for appropriate debt management. This can include installing a prepayment meter, but suppliers have to consider whether this is safe and practicable, including whether a prepayment meter is appropriate for the specific customer.

Business: Energy

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of the support provided to help with energy costs for multi-function premises which are used for both residential and business purposes and have one business electricity account.

Graham Stuart: Through the Energy Prices Bill the Government has established a comprehensive package of measures to support homes and businesses this winter. Multi-function premises on a single business electricity account may benefit from the Energy Bill Relief Scheme, which provides equivalent support to the domestic Energy Price Guarantee (EPG) scheme. If the electricity account holder supplies other residential and business users on the premises, it will be required to pass on the scheme benefits as appropriate.

Business: Energy

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether multi-function premises that are used for both residential and business purposes and have business electricity accounts will be eligible for the Energy Bills Support Scheme.

Graham Stuart: All domestic electricity customers who have a direct relationship with a licensed electricity supplier will be automatically eligible for the Energy Bills Support Scheme. Therefore, if a customer has a domestic electricity contract, they will be receiving the discount under the Energy Bills Support Scheme. If a customer is registered as receiving energy to a business premises, this will be covered in detail in further guidance to be published in due course.

Fracking

Cat Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether it is his Department's policy to lift the moratorium on fracking.

Graham Stuart: The Government supports the core ambitions set out in the 2019 manifesto and will therefore revert to a more precautionary approach. The Government has confirmed that it will adopt a presumption against issuing further hydraulic fracturing consents. The Government will be led by the evidence on whether, in future, this form of exploration can support UK energy security, emission reduction and be acceptable to local communities.

Oil: Shetland

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether the recent licence extension for the proposed Cambo oil field is protected under Investor-State Dispute Settlement terms of Energy Charter Treaty.

Graham Stuart: Investments in the UK energy sector are potentially in scope of the investment protection provisions of the Energy Charter Treaty. This protection is conditional on a) the details of the investment and b) the investor must be of another Contracting Party to the Energy Charter Treaty.

Energy Charter Treaty

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what environmental impact assessments his Department has carried out on the proposed changes to the Energy Charter Treaty.

Graham Stuart: If Contracting Parties to the Energy Charter Treaty decide to adopt the final text of the modernised Energy Charter Treaty in November this year, the modernised Treaty will come into force once the ratification requirements of the Treaty are met. When deciding whether provisionally to apply or seek ratification of the modernised Treaty, the Government would consider its potential impact on all relevant Government objectives.

Climate Change Convention and Energy Charter Treaty

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether his Department has made an assessment in 2022 of the compatibility of the UK's membership of the Energy Charter Treaty with its commitments under the Paris Climate Agreement.

Graham Stuart: The Government has assessed that the modernised Energy Charter Treaty is compatible with the Paris Agreement. The modernised treaty reaffirms the respective rights and obligations of the Contracting Parties under multilateral environmental agreements, including the Paris Agreement, and the commitment to effectively implement their commitments and obligations under it.

Small Businesses: Inflation

Colleen Fletcher: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to help small and medium-sized enterprises in (a) Coventry North East constituency and (b) Coventry manage the impact of high inflation.

Kevin Hollinrake: The Government has reversed the National Insurance rise, which will save small businesses approximately £4,200, cut fuel duty for 12 months, raised the Employment Allowance to £5,000, zero-rated VAT on energy-saving materials and brought in the Energy Bill Relief Scheme. This compliments existing support, including business rates relief worth £7 billion over five years. Additionally, business support in Coventry North East and Coventry includes Growth Hubs which have supported 3,030 businesses of varying sizes, £6.09 million towards the Completing the Cultural Capital investment package to help maximise the benefits of Coventry City of Culture, £131.84 million investment from Local Growth Deals and £766,332 funding via the Community Renewal Fund.

Business: Energy

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent discussions he has had with automotive trade groups on the steps his Department is taking to support businesses with energy costs beyond April 2023.

Graham Stuart: Officials are engaging with businesses and trade associations to inform the 3-month review of EBRS to consider support after 31st March 2023, including automotive trade associations.

Minerals

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what progress he has made on the implementation of the UK Critical Minerals Strategy, published on 22 July 2022.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: With the launch of the Critical Minerals Strategy, BEIS is working with other Government Departments to agree a Delivery Plan, which we expect to publish in the coming months. It will set out the Government’s plans to implement the Strategy and highlight achievements to date.

Housing: Insulation

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will make an estimate of the number of homes with lofts that have been insulated since 31 December 2021.

Graham Stuart: The Government estimates that in the first eight months of 2022, around 14,600 lofts were insulated, supported through the Energy Company Obligation(covering Great Britain) and Green Homes Grant schemes (covering England only).

Skilled Workers

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he has had recent discussions with the Secretary of State for Education on the potential merits of implementing the recommendations of the report by Make UK entitled Skills 2030: Closing the Gap, published on 26 September 2022.

Graham Stuart: The Minister for Industry has not held discussions with my Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education on MakeUK’s report Skills 2030. The Government recognises the importance of skilled workers in the manufacturing sector which is why funding for apprenticeships is increasing to £2.7 billion by 2024-25; the first increase to apprenticeships funding since 2019-20.

Energy Bills Rebate: Flats

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether residential flats that use private wire electricity networks will be included in the support provided by the Energy Bill Relief Scheme.

Graham Stuart: A landlord may be eligible for a reduction in energy bills under the Energy Bill Relief Scheme if they are on a non-domestic energy contract and meet the scheme eligibility criteria. Landlords and other intermediaries must pass the benefits of the scheme onto their tenants in a reasonable and proportionate way. This will help ensure homes and businesses are protected from excessively high energy bills over the winter period.

Biofuels: Carbon Emissions

Wendy Chamberlain: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will publish his Department's most recent assessment on impact of the use of biomass fuels on the UK’s carbon emissions.

Graham Stuart: In accordance with international guidelines, carbon dioxide emissions from biomass use are reported in Greenhouse Gas Inventories as a change in carbon stocks in the Land-Use, Land-Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF) sector of the country where the biomass is harvested. They are also reported as a memorandum item in the country where the biomass is used, but are not counted in that country’s total emissions to avoid double counting. In the latest year for which emissions estimates are available (2020), carbon dioxide emissions from UK biomass use, reported as a memorandum item in the UK Greenhouse Gas Inventory, were 47.2 million tonnes.

Business: Working Hours

Sir Alan Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what plans the Government has to support businesses that want to implement a 32 hour, four-day working week.

Kevin Hollinrake: There is no ‘one size fits all’ approach to work arrangements. The government supports flexible working in all its forms, where it has benefits for, and is agreed between, both individuals and employers. The existing legal framework provides a statutory right to request flexible working, where employees can request a change to their hours, pattern or place of work. Between September and December 2021, the government consulted on changes to this framework to better support the uptake of flexible working arrangements. We will respond in due course.

Housing: Energy

Nadia Whittome: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to help improve the energy efficiency of homes in Nottingham East constituency.

Graham Stuart: The Government remains committed to improving the energy performance of homes and reducing Fuel Poverty across the country, including in Nottingham East. Therefore the Government is investing £12 billion in Help to Heat schemes to make sure homes are warmer and cheaper to heat. This investment will benefit tens of thousands of households and deliver savings between £300 and £700 a year on average on their energy bills, based on the recent price cap announcement. Help to Heat covers the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, Local Authority Delivery Scheme, Home Upgrade Grant, Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund, and the Energy Company Obligation.

Electricity Generation: Fossil Fuels

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of delivering a fossil fuel-free electricity system by 2030.

Graham Stuart: The Government is already enabling the transition of the electricity system to low emissions, as part of delivering Net Zero by 2050. 95% of British electricity could be low-carbon by 2030. This transition cannot be at the expense of security of supply, a critical consideration as the use of fossil fuels reduces and the system relies more on renewables. The Government will continue to assess its progress in power sector decarbonization, including when responding to the annual progress report from the Climate Change Committee next year, taking account of the finding of the independent review of net zero.

Events Industry: Government Assistance

Douglas Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent steps his Department has taken to help support (a) venues in the events industry and (b) small business who contribute to the events industry supply chain.

Graham Stuart: The Government has taken action to support UK SMEs in the events sector, including support with business rates; increasing the employment allowance; and exempting small and micro businesses from regulations where possible. The Government has also acted to reverse the National Insurance rise, which will save small businesses £4,200 on average and brought in the Energy Bill Relief Scheme, which will protect small businesses from high energy bills over the winter.

Business: Government Assistance

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he will take to support businesses that have reported as being in significant financial distress.

Kevin Hollinrake: The Government has reversed the National Insurance rise, which will save SMEs approximately £4,200 on average, cut fuel duty for 12 months and brought in the Energy Bill Relief Scheme, to protect small businesses from high energy costs over the winter. Additionally, the Recovery Loan Scheme (RLS) is designed to help SMEs access finance they would otherwise not be able to access commercially. The current iteration of the scheme was launched on 1 August 2022 and supports finance up to £2 million per business group. RLS is available through 38 accredited lenders including banks, asset finance providers, regional and social lenders.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when he plans to provide a substantive written response to the correspondence of 2 September 2022 from the hon. Member for Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney, reference MCSL2022/20612.

Kevin Hollinrake: My Rt. Hon. Friend the Minister of State for Climate wrote to the Hon. Member on 12 October about energy cost support for businesses, and on 25 October about standing charges.

Construction: Mental Health

Liz Twist: To ask Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the research by the Chartered Institute of Building entitled Understanding Mental Health in the Built Environment, published on 11 May 2020, and the research by Mates in Mind and The Institute for Employment Studies entitled Supporting the mental health of self-employed construction workers, published in June 2022, if he will take steps to help ensure that (a) employers and (b) suppliers in the construction industry are implementing measures to support the mental health and well-being of workers in that sector.

Graham Stuart: The Government is committed to working to improve health and safety, as well as mental and occupational health in the construction sector, to enable the sector to recruit and retain the workforce that it needs in future. This work is being taken forward through the Construction Leadership Council’s Health, Safety and Wellbeing Group, which brings together the Health and Safety Executive, industry representatives and trade unions, to develop and circulate information about best practice in relation to mental health and practical guidance for the industry.

Fireworks: Regulation

Sir Alan Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether the Government plans to ban the sale of fireworks to the public.

Kevin Hollinrake: The Government has no plans to ban the sale of fireworks to the public.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Buildings

Holly Lynch: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what estimate he has made of the number of work stations available for people employed by his Department on departmental premises.

Kevin Hollinrake: The number of workstations estimated to be available for people employed by the Department within its office locations is 3419.

Post Office: Income

James Cartlidge: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how much and what proportion of Post Office Limited revenue was distributed to Post Masters for providing in-branch high street banking services in the latest year for which data is available.

Kevin Hollinrake: Post Office Limited publishes their reports and accounts annually and lays them before Parliament. These reports include information on the total costs Post Office allocate for postmaster remuneration, and can be found here: https://corporate.postoffice.co.uk/en/governance/key-reports-statements/post-office-annual-report-accounts-2020-21. Post Office Limited is a commercial business. It has a Chief Executive and a Board of Directors, who are responsible for running Post Office day-to-day and for providing strategic oversight respectively. The remuneration postmasters receive for different services is a commercial decision for Post Office Limited.

Clothing: Manufacturing Industries

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether his Department has to help improve working conditions and employment rights in the fashion industry.

Kevin Hollinrake: The Government takes enforcement of employment rights across the whole economy seriously. This is why the Government has more than doubled the budget for national minimum wage compliance and enforcement to £27.8 million for 2022/23, up from £13.2 million in 2015/16.

Public Houses: Closures

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will make estimate of the number of pubs that will close in the next 12 months.

Graham Stuart: The Department monitors hospitality sector trends using a range of data sources and regularly meets with businesses to understand the pressures that they face. The Hospitality Sector Council (HSC) has been set up to support delivery of the commitments set out in the Hospitality Strategy and build the long-term resilience of the sector.

Fish: Retail Trade

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy what assessment his Department has made of the effects of the energy crisis on the viability of fish and chip shops.

Graham Stuart: The Government regularly engages with small businesses across the retail and hospitality sectors to understand the challenges they face. The recently announced Energy Bill Relief Scheme ensures that all businesses and other non-domestic customers are protected from excessively high energy bills over the winter period.

Fracking: Formby

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his policies of the earthquake risk assessment by Lancashire County Council of the planning application by Aurora Energy Resources Ltd for Altcar Moss, reference LCC/2019/0037.

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his policies of the statement by Frack Free Formby entitled Detailed Objections.

Graham Stuart: The Government has restored the moratorium on fracking. The Government is committed to the effective ban on fracking set out in the 2019 general election manifesto.

Companies House: Fees and Charges

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of increasing the Companies House incorporation fee.

Kevin Hollinrake: The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Bill gives the Government more flexibility to use fees in the future, including for investigation and enforcement activities and as a result the Government is keeping the future fees charged by Companies House under review as reforms progress. The Government will seek to ensure that the UK remains an attractive place for business, whilst also protecting the register from fraud and economic crime.

Companies: Registration

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what estimate he has made of the number of companies that have been automatically struck off the Companies House register where fraudulent activity was suspected to have taken place in each of the last five years.

Kevin Hollinrake: Companies House does not hold figures for how many companies were struck off the register where fraudulent activity was suspected. The Registrar of Companies can only instigate action to strike a company off the register where she has reason to believe a company is no longer in business or in operation. The figures for the compulsory strike off process for the past five years are as follows: 2017-20182018-20192019-20202020-20212021-2022212,334216,642230,931165,597279,913 The Registrar of Companies may also strike a company’s name off the register on application by a company. Table A9 of the Companies register activities: statistical release 2021 to 2022 shows the total volumes of all companies struck off and dissolved, which includes the compulsory strike off process and following an application by a company: Companies register activities: statistical release 2021 to 2022 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

Department of Health and Social Care

Health Services: Females

Feryal Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking in the Sexual and Reproductive Health Action Plan to address the shortfall of trained long-acting reversible contraception fitters in (a) primary care and (b) specialist sexual and reproductive health services.

Neil O'Brien: We are considering what action needs to be taken to ensure the sexual health workforce has the skills and capacity required to meet the sexual and reproductive health needs of the population in multiple settings, including primary care and specialist services. Further information will be available in due course.

Memory Clinics: Waiting Lists

Sir Alan Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking with NHS England to reduce backlogs in Memory Assessment Services.

Helen Whately: In 2021/22, the Government made £17 million available to clinical commissioning groups to address dementia waiting lists and increase the number of diagnoses. This included identifying areas of good practice in dementia diagnosis, and provision of pre and post diagnostic support, which will be shared with dementia clinical networks and stakeholders.

General Practitioners: Luton South

Rachel Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate his Department has made of the number of GP appointments there were in Luton South constituency in (a) the last 12 months and (b) in 2013.

Neil O'Brien: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Hospitals: Waiting Lists

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 17 October 2022 to Question 59928 on Surgery: Waiting Lists, if he will make an estimate of the number of patients who were removed from waiting lists due to patients being diagnosed with other conditions in the last 12 months; and if he will make an assessment of the impact of this approach on transparency in the NHS.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

HIV Infection: Luton South

Rachel Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people were diagnosed with HIV in Luton South constituency in each of the last five years.

Neil O'Brien: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

NHS: Staff

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to publish a workforce plan for the NHS.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Dementia: Research

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, by which date the Government will announce the membership of the National Dementia Mission taskforce.

Helen Whately: The Dame Barbara Windsor Dementia Mission was launched in August 2022. We are currently developing plans for the Mission and recruiting its Chair. Further information on the Mission will be available in due course.

Midwives: Luton South

Rachel Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help support the (a) recruitment and (b) retention of midwives in Luton South constituency.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Dental Services: Children

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he will take to ensure that all children will have access to an NHS dentist.

Neil O'Brien: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of an independent review of alcohol harms.

Neil O'Brien: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Monkeypox: Vaccination

Janet Daby: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 26 October 2022 to Question 59084 on Monkeypox: Vaccination, what his timescale is for the completion of the monkeypox vaccination programme to the eligible cohort.

Neil O'Brien: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Mental Health Services: Young People

Colleen Fletcher: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the availability of mental health services for young people in (a) Coventry North East constituency, (b) Coventry, (c) the West Midlands and (d) England.

Maria Caulfield: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Contraceptives: Finance

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if her Department will undertake a review of the adequacy of the levels of funding provided to general practices for providing long acting reversible contraception.

Neil O'Brien: There are currently no plans to review the levels of funding provided to general practices for providing long-acting reversible contraception. Under the GP contract, contraceptive services are an essential service that practices must provide or arrange for the provision of. Practices are paid for providing essential services via the global sum, which is a capitated payment based on practice patient list size, weighted to account for estimated patient workload and unavoidable costs.During the pandemic, we made £520 million available to improve access to general practice services and expand general practice capacity, in addition to at least £1.5 billion announced in 2020 to create a further 50 million general practice appointments by 2024 by increasing and diversifying the workforce.

Health: Slough

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent steps her Department has taken to help tackle health inequality in Slough constituency.

Neil O'Brien: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Sleep

Julie Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has had discussions with US health counterparts on the research and treatment of sighted non 24 disorder.

Helen Whately: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Sleep

Julie Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans she has to increase funding for research into (a) sighted non 24 sleep wake disorder and (b) other similar sleep disorders; and what steps she is taking to help meet the additional needs of people living with sighted non 24 disorder.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

HIV Infection: Slough

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people were diagnosed with HIV in Slough constituency in each of the last five years.

Neil O'Brien: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Surgery: Walsall South

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent estimate her Department has made of the number of cancelled operations in Walsall South constituency in the past 12 months.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Dementia: Health Services

Rebecca Long Bailey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of people living with dementia have received an annual dementia review in the last (a) 12 and (b) 24 months.

Helen Whately: In the last 12 months, 231,223 or 57.4% of people diagnosed with dementia received a face-to-face annual review, with 402,079 or 50.3% of people receiving a review in the last 24 months.

Paxlovid

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many doses of Paxlovid are due to expire within the next 6 months.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Coronavirus: Screening

Carla Lockhart: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of the withdrawal of free lateral flow tests on Covid-19 levels.

Neil O'Brien: As announced in ‘COVID-19 Response: Living with COVID-19’ in February 2022, we continued free asymptomatic testing in high-risk settings where prevalence was high. In August, prevalence had fallen to a level where there was limited value in most regular testing for people without symptoms, although testing continues for those with symptoms. This avoids the majority of people having to test unnecessarily.There are many factors which affect the prevalence of COVID-19, therefore it is not possible to isolate the specific impact of the withdrawal of free lateral flow device tests or asymptomatic testing in high-risk settings. However, we continue to review data on the prevalence of COVID-19 and if public health advice suggests the reintroduction of regular asymptomatic testing in high-risk settings, this will be considered.

Paxlovid

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many of the 2.75 million courses of Paxlovid procured by the Government have reached their expiry date as of 26 October 2022.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Diabetes and Eating Disorders

Sir Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Answer of 13 April 2022 to Question 140404 on Diabetes and Eating Disorders, where the five additional pilot sites areas will be; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Caulfield: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Hospital Wards: Closures

Sir Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many wards are closed or not being used as a ward; and which hospitals those wards are in.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Dementia: Research

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, by which date the Government intends to begin allocating funding through the National Dementia Mission.

Helen Whately: The Dame Barbara Windsor Dementia Mission was launched in August 2022, supported by an investment of £95 million. We are currently developing plans for the Mission and further information will be available in due course.

Diabetes: Slough

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people were diagnosed with diabetes in Slough constituency in each of the last five years.

Helen Whately: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

General Practitioners: East Yorkshire

Sir Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress he has made in the last six months to increase the number of face to face GP appointments available in East Yorkshire; and if he will make a statement.

Neil O'Brien: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Monkeypox: Southwark

Neil Coyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when she expects adequate stocks of the monkeypox vaccine to be available in Southwark.

Neil O'Brien: As of 19 October, 32,908 doses of monkeypox vaccine have been administered in the London area, of a total 48,801 administered in England. The UK Health Security Agency has procured over 150,000 doses of the vaccine used for monkeypox, with the final deliveries of vaccine expected by the end of October 2022. This has provided adequate stock of vaccine to cover the eligible vaccination cohort.

Fungi: Infectious Diseases

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to his answer of 22 September 2022 to Question 45706 on Fungi: Infectious Diseases, and with reference to the World Health Organisation's fungal priority pathogens list to guide research, development and public health action of 25 October, if he will make his policy to increase funding for research in this area.

Neil O'Brien: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

General Practitioners: Luton South

Rachel Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate his Department has made of the number of FTE fully-qualified GPs, excluding GPs in a training grade, who were practicing in Luton South constituency (a) on 26 October 2022 and (b) in 2013.

Neil O'Brien: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Integrated Care Systems

Paula Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an assessment of the effectiveness of Integrated Care Systems in involving local authorities in decision making and governance.

Helen Whately: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Diabetes: Luton South

Rachel Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people were diagnosed with diabetes in Luton South constituency in each of the last five years.

Helen Whately: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

NHS: Protective Clothing

Nick Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant of the Answer of 24 October 2022 to Question 61010 on Protective Clothing: Contracts, how many people working on PPE-related contractual disputes are (a) direct employees of her Department, (b) contracted from consultancy firms and (c) on secondment from other Government departments.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Dental Services: Integrated Care Systems

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether NHS England is taking steps to ensure that integrated care systems will provide NHS dental services from April 2023.

Neil O'Brien: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Department of Health and Social Care: Departmental Responsibilities

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when she plans to publish the ministerial responsibilities for Ministers in her Department.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Mental Health Services: Children and Young People

Colleen Fletcher: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the average waiting time for children and adolescent mental health services in (a) Coventry, (b) the West Midlands and (c) England; and what steps his Department is taking to reduce waiting lists for those services in those areas.

Maria Caulfield: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Surgery: Worsley and Eccles South

Barbara Keeley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 24 October 2022 to Question 63153 on Surgery: Worsley and Eccles South, what steps his Department is taking to help reduce waiting times for elective surgeries in Worsley and Eccles South constituency.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicines Pricing and Access

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what (a) meetings and (b) discussions he has with representatives of (i) pharmaceutical and (ii) life science companies on changes to the Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicines Pricing and Access (VPAS); and what assessment he has made of the potential impact of changes to the VPAS rebate rate on foreign direct investment into UK life science R&D.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Obesity

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help reduce obesity levels.

Neil O'Brien: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of providing an additional covid-19 booster vaccination in 2023.

Neil O'Brien: The Government continues to be guided by the advice of the independent Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) regarding the deployment of COVID-19 vaccinations in the United Kingdom. The JCVI regularly reviews its advice and considers new data, evidence on the effectiveness of the programme and the epidemiological situation. It will provide advice in due course on whether further vaccination is required during 2023. If a further programme is recommended, the advice will include which patient cohorts will be included and any timings.

Sleep

Julie Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to support patients of sighted non 24 through the NHS in England; and what assessment she has made of the potential merits of increasing funding into research on that condition.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Health Services: Immunosuppression

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will meet with (a) clinically vulnerable, (b) clinically extremely vulnerable and (c) immunosuppressed patient support groups to discuss the Government's strategy to protect these groups over winter 2022-23.

Neil O'Brien: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Health: Disadvantaged

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to publish a health disparities white paper.

Neil O'Brien: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Dementia: Health Services

Rebecca Long Bailey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Alzheimer's Society report entitled Left to Cope Alone, published in June 2022, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of using the Quality and Outcomes Framework to help improve post-diagnostic support for people living with dementia.

Helen Whately: The 2022/23 Quality and Outcomes Framework incentivises practices to provide annual face-to-face reviews with patients diagnosed with dementia, in which the patient’s care plan is reviewed. Regular review can assist in ensuring that any changes in care needs are addressed.

Prescriptions: Miscarriage

Kim Leadbeater: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department will allow the submission of a Matex certificate application after a woman has miscarried to be backdated to cover the period of time that the woman was pregnant.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

General Practitioners: Garston and Halewood

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent estimate her Department has made of the proportion of GP appointments in Garston and Halewood conducted face-to-face in the last 12 months; and what that number was in 2013.

Neil O'Brien: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

General Practitioners: Garston and Halewood

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent estimate her Department has made of the number of GP appointments in Garston and Halewood in the past 12 months; and what that number was in 2013.

Neil O'Brien: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

General Practitioners: Garston and Halewood

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent estimate her Department has made of the number of FTE Fully qualified GPs excluding GPs in Training Grade practicing in Garston and Halewood on 25 October 2022; and what that number was in 2013.

Neil O'Brien: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Cancer: Waiting Lists

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many operations for cancer patients have been cancelled as a result of staffing shortages in the NHS in each of the last 12 months.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Monkeypox: Vaccination

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when funding of £15 per dose of monkeypox vaccine delivered will reach sexual health professionals.

Neil O'Brien: The funding available is being made to providers for the delivery of the monkeypox vaccine via NHS England’s regional teams. The scheduling of payments is agreed locally between regions and providers. All regional teams have confirmed that these payments are in place.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Lloyd Russell-Moyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 22 June 2022 to Question 18974 on Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, what progress his Department has made on the Cross-Government Delivery Plan on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Helen Whately: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Memory Clinics

Rebecca Long Bailey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of Memory Assessment Services are able to conduct dementia assessments in languages other than English.

Helen Whately: The data requested is not held centrally.

General Practitioners

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many GP appointments have been cancelled as a result of staffing shortages in the NHS in each of the last 12 months.

Neil O'Brien: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Cancer: Waiting Lists

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many appointments for cancer patients have been cancelled as a result of staffing shortages in the NHS in each of the last 12 months.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Vaccination: Children

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policy of routine childhood immunisation statistics published on 29 September 2022.

Neil O'Brien: The Department is working with the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and NHS England to improve coverage, including a recent communications campaign and a polio booster vaccine for children in London; increased public communications from the UKHSA to improve vaccination coverage for children; improved data collection to identify and address vaccination rates in underserved populations; and further training for healthcare professionals.

Surgery: Waiting Lists

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many operations have been cancelled as a result of staffing shortages in the NHS in each of the last 12 months.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Care Workers: Pay

Paula Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the level of wages in the care sector on the vacancy rate in the (a) short, (b) medium and (c) long term.

Helen Whately: No specific assessment has been made.

Healthy Start Scheme: Migrants

Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many applications to Healthy Start payment have been made by parents with No Recourse to Public Funds with British children; and (b) how many beneficiaries are currently in receipt of payments.

Neil O'Brien: The Department has received 44 fully completed applications which meet the eligibility criteria for the temporary extension to the Healthy Start scheme. There are currently 31 beneficiaries in receipt of payments from the temporary extension to the Healthy Start scheme.

Life Expectancy: Worsley and Eccles South

Barbara Keeley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of trends in the level of healthy life expectancy in Worsley and Eccles South constituency.

Neil O'Brien: No specific assessment has been made. ‘Our plan for patients’, published on 22 September, sets out the immediate priorities to support individuals to live healthier lives through ensuring access to health services which prevent ill-health. Further information on measures to address health disparities will be available in due course.

Monkeypox: Vaccination

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to accelerate resumption of the Monkeypox vaccination rollout.

Neil O'Brien: The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) procured over 150,000 doses of Monkeypox vaccines, with 70,000 vials arriving in the United Kingdom by September and a further 80,000 vials in October. The UKHSA has endorsed the use of ‘fractional dosing’, in which people aged 18 years old and over can be offered a 0.1 millilitre dose of the Jynneos smallpox vaccine, replacing the 0.5 millilitre dose typically administered. This will enable up to a five-fold increase in the number of people offered vaccination with the same level of effectiveness.  There has been no pause in the programme since it began.

Life Expectancy: Garston and Halewood

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of trends in the level of life expectancy in Garston and Halewood constituency.

Neil O'Brien: No specific assessment has been made.

Malnutrition: Worsley and Eccles South

Barbara Keeley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment her Department has made of trends in the level of malnutrition in Worsley and Eccles South constituency.

Neil O'Brien: No specific assessment has been made.

Monkeypox: Vaccination

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what percentage of eligible sexual health clinics have received funding of £15 per dose of monkeypox vaccine delivered.

Neil O'Brien: NHS England has made funding available to providers for the delivery of the monkeypox vaccine via its regional teams. The scheduling of payments is agreed locally.

Healthy Start Scheme

Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many eligible Beneficiaries for the Healthy Start voucher scheme there were in (a) England, (b) Northern Ireland and (c) Wales between April and September 2022.

Neil O'Brien: This information is not currently held centrally. The Department of Health and Social Care continues to work with the NHS Business Services Authority and the Department for Work and Pensions to obtain this data.

Care Homes: Bolton South East

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent estimate her Department has made of the number of residential care homes that have closed in Bolton South East constituency since 2010.

Helen Whately: The Care Quality Commission records care homes which have closed as ‘deactivated’. Since 2010, 5 care homes in Bolton South East have been deactivated. The ‘deactivated’ locations exclude care homes where the provider continues to operate under a new, separate registration, which may be due to a change in legal entity or provider.Some care homes have both types of care home service with nursing and care home service without nursing and in these cases, the home is classified as a nursing home. A residential home is a care home service without nursing.

Disease Control

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will bring forward a strategy to ensure rapid roll out of (a) innovative vaccines and (b) technologies in the event of a future pandemic.

Neil O'Brien: We have established the Centre for Pandemic Preparedness to ensure the United Kingdom’s future pandemic responses are more effective and efficient to reduce the negative impacts of health threats. We are continuing the 100 Day Mission collaboration between the Government and industry to develop effective diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines to be deployed within 100 days of a new pathogen being identified.

Smoking

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the The Khan review: making smoking obsolete, published 9 June 2022, what assessment she has made for the implications for her Department's policies; and whether she will take steps to implement the recommendation to provide accurate information to healthcare professionals on the benefits of vaping in helping patients to stop smoking.

Neil O'Brien: The Department is currently considering the recommendations made in ‘The Khan review: making smoking obsolete’, including those related to vaping. The evidence on the relative harms of vaping compared to smoking is addressed in the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities’ ‘Nicotine vaping in England: 2022 evidence update summary’ published in September 2022, which is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nicotine-vaping-in-england-2022-evidence-update/nicotine-vaping-in-england-2022-evidence-update-summaryWe have recently published information on the benefits of smokers switching to vaping, which is available at the following link:https://www.nhs.uk/better-health/quit-smoking/vaping-to-quit-smokingWe are also exploring how to support healthcare professionals to provide accurate information on the benefits of switching to vaping.

Moderna: Contracts

Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress her Department has made on agreeing a contract with Moderna to develop a centre for vaccine research and manufacture in the UK.

Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment she has made of the potential effect of developing a UK vaccine research and manufacturing centre with Moderna on preparedness for future pandemics.

Neil O'Brien: In June 2022, the Government agreed heads of terms with Moderna to create a strategic partnership over the next decade. A full contract is being negotiated with Moderna, subject to approval of a full business case.

Dementia: Ethnic Groups

Jess Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that people from ethnic minority communities are receiving timely dementia diagnoses.

Helen Whately: NHS England has commissioned the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities’ Dementia Intelligence Network to investigate the underlying variation in dementia diagnosis rates in targeted areas in England. This investigation includes the assessment of population characteristics such as rurality, ethnicity and age to provide context for variation and enable targeted investigation and provision of support locally.

Physical Education

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help encourage more physical exercise.

Neil O'Brien: The Department is working with other Government departments, the National Health Service and local government to ensure more people can lead more active lives, including participation in sport and leisure and access to active travel. The Department’s Better Health social marketing campaigns, such as ‘Couch to 5k’, ‘Active 10’ and the ‘10 Minute Shake Up’ provides the tools for adults and children and their families to access the physical and mental health benefits of physical activity.

Dementia: Diagnosis

Jess Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to improve the (a) identification and (b) referral process for dementia diagnosis.

Helen Whately: NHS England is working with general practitioner IT system providers to reproduce the Dementia Quality Toolkit (DQT) using SNOMED coding. The DQT includes system searches which can be used by general practitioners to identify people whose records suggest that they might have dementia, but do not have a recorded diagnosis. Publication of the toolkit is anticipated by April 2023.In 2021/22, the Government made £17 million available to clinical commissioning groups to address dementia waiting lists and increase the number of diagnoses. This included identifying areas of good practice in dementia diagnosis and provision of pre and post diagnostic support, which will be shared with dementia clinical networks and stakeholders. In 2022/23, NHS England has initiated a project to fund two trusts in each region to pilot the Diagnosing Advanced Dementia Mandate tool to improve diagnosis of dementia in care homes.

Coffee

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions she has had with the (a) Royal College of Nursing and (b) other professional medical bodies on the potential dietary benefits of drinking two or three cups of coffee a day, including reducing the risk of developing cardiovascular disease.

Neil O'Brien: There have been no specific discussions.

Care Homes: Warrington North

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of care homes were rated as good by the Care and Quality Commission in Warrington North constituency as of 1 October 2022.

Helen Whately: As of 3 October, 14 care homes (73.7 per cent) were rated good overall by the Care Quality Commission in the Warrington North constituency. CQC can only report as per their last published care directory which is 3 October 2022 rather than 1 October 2022.

Care Homes: Reading East

Matt Rodda: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent estimate her Department has made of the number of residential care homes that have closed in Reading East constituency since 1 January 2017.

Helen Whately: The Care Quality Commission records care homes which have closed as ‘deactivated’. Since 2017, care homes in Reading East have been deactivated. The ‘deactivated’ locations exclude care homes where the provider continues to operate under a new, separate registration, which may be due to a change in legal entity or provider.Some care homes have both types of care home service with nursing and care home service without nursing and in these cases, the home is classified as a nursing home. A residential home is a care home service without nursing.

Healthy Start Scheme

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department plans to resume the publication of monthly take-up data for the Healthy Start scheme.

Neil O'Brien: The Department of Health and Social Care continues to work closely with the NHS Business Services Authority and the Department for Work and Pensions to obtain the relevant data as soon as possible. The NHS Business Services Authority plan to publish the data by the end of the year.

Carers: Unpaid Work

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment her Department has made of the impact of the Better Care Fund on the provision of support to unpaid carers; and whether she plans to take further steps to improve the working conditions of unpaid carers.

Helen Whately: In 2022-23, £291.7 million of the Better Care Fund is earmarked to provide short breaks and respite services for carers, as well as additional advice and support. This year, for the first time, local partnerships have had to set out how funding is being used to support unpaid carers in their Better Care Fund plans. These plans are currently being assured and moderated.We are committed to supporting unpaid carers to balance their caring alongside work, and to do so in a way that supports their own health and wellbeing. On Friday 21 October, the Government confirmed its support for the hon. Member for North East Fife’s Private Members’ Bill which would introduce a new entitlement to one week of Carer’s Leave for all employees who are providing care for a dependant with a long-term care need.

Care Homes: Newham

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what (a) recent estimate her Department has made of the number of residential care homes that have closed in Newham since 1 January 2020, (b) assessment she makes of the socio-economic circumstances of the residents impacted and (c) if any assessment she has made of the impact on life expectancy of residents moved due to these closures.

Helen Whately: Since 1 January 2020, two residential care homes in Newham have been ‘deactivated’. The Care Quality Commission records care homes which have closed as ‘deactivated’, which exclude care homes where the provider continues to operate under a new, separate registration. This could be due to a legal entity change or a change in the provider.No specific assessment of the socioeconomic circumstances and life expectancy of those affected by closures has been made.

Social Services: City of Durham

Mary Kelly Foy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of social care capacity in City of Durham constituency.

Helen Whately: No specific assessment has been made. Local authorities have a responsibility under the Care Act 2014 to ensure that the care needs of the local population are met.

Care Homes: Putney

Fleur Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent estimate her Department has made of the number of residential care homes that have closed in Putney constituency since December 2019.

Helen Whately: The Care Quality Commission records care homes which have closed as ‘deactivated’. There have been no care home deactivations for the period in the parliamentary constituency of Putney.The ‘deactivated’ locations exclude care homes where the provider continues to operate under a new, separate registration, which may be due to a change in legal entity or provider.Some care homes have both types of care home service with nursing and care home service without nursing and in these cases, the home is classified as a nursing home. A residential home is a care home service without nursing.

Health: Disadvantaged

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when she plans to publish the health disparities white paper.

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she will publish the Health Disparities White Paper before the end of 2022.

Neil O'Brien: ‘Our plan for patients’, published on 22 September, sets out the immediate priorities to support individuals to live healthier lives, including improving access to health and care services. In addition, the Department continues to review how health disparities can be addressed and further information will be available in due course.

Life Expectancy: West Ham

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of trends in the level of healthy life expectancy by (a) gender and (b) ethnicity in West Ham constituency.

Neil O'Brien: No specific assessment has been made. ‘Our plan for patients’, published on 22 September, sets out the immediate priorities to support individuals to live healthier lives through ensuring access to health services which prevent ill-health.

NHS Blood and Transplant: Vacancies

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent estimate she has made of the level of staff vacancies at NHS Blood and Transplant as of 13 October 2022; and whether her Department is taking steps to help reduce the level of those vacancies.

Neil O'Brien: The Department is working with NHS Blood and Transplant, National Health Service professionals and NHS England to increase staff recruitment in blood donation operations. NHS Blood and Transplant is working with NHS England to deliver a modularised training programme to reduce the induction process for new staff and expects to fill current vacancies in its blood donation teams by November 2022.There are currently 129 vacancies headcount with active recruitment continuing in NHS Blood and Transplant’s blood donation operations as of 13 October 2022. A further 112 posts have been recruited to, subject to appointment processes.

Care Homes: Nottingham South

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent estimate her Department has made of the number of residential care homes that have closed in Nottingham South constituency since (a) 2019 and (b) 2010.

Helen Whately: The Care Quality Commission records care homes which have closed as ‘deactivated’. There have been no care home deactivations in the parliamentary constituency of Nottingham South since 2019 but there were 5 deactivations between 2010 and 2019.The ‘deactivated’ locations exclude care homes where the provider continues to operate under a new, separate registration, which may be due to a change in legal entity or provider.Some care homes have both types of care home service with nursing and care home service without nursing and in these cases, the home is classified as a nursing home. A residential home is a care home service without nursing.

Immunology

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent progress she has made on the establishment of a UK wide Predictive Immunology Network.

Will Quince: The Life Sciences Vision committed to delivering a vaccines healthcare mission which will focus on maximising the opportunities to improve core immunology, vaccinology and clinical trial design and infrastructure. The Government is working with experts in this area to design the most appropriate mechanism for delivery.

Surgery: Bradford South

Judith Cummins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent estimate her Department has made of the number of cancelled operations in Bradford South constituency in the past 12 months.

Will Quince: This information is not collected in the format requested.

Surgery: Weaver Vale

Mike Amesbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent estimate her Department has made of the number of cancelled operations in Weaver Vale constituency in the past 12 months.

Will Quince: This information is not collected in the format requested.

Surgery: Washington and Sunderland West

Mrs Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent estimate her Department has made of the number of cancelled operations in Washington and Sunderland West constituency in the past 12 months.

Will Quince: This information is not collected in the format requested.

Surgery: Plymouth Sutton and Devonport

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent estimate her Department has made of the number of cancelled operations in Plymouth Sutton and Devonport in the past 12 months.

Will Quince: This information is not collected in the format requested.

Surgery: Chesterfield

Mr Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent estimate her Department has made of the number of cancelled operations in Chesterfield constituency in the last 12 months.

Will Quince: This information is not collected in the format requested.

Health Services: Northern Ireland

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when she will publish guidance on the future regulation of (a) medicines, (b) health technologies and (c) vaccines in Northern Ireland.

Will Quince: The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has published guidance on the regulation of human medicines and medical devices from 1 January 2021 in the United Kingdom. This guidance includes vaccines, which are regulated as medicines.The MHRA has updated the guidance to reflect changes made by the European Union to its medicine legislation in relation to the Northern Ireland Protocol and the introduction of the route for the Government to ensure equity of access to medicines for patients in Northern Ireland. Any future regulatory changes will be reflected in this guidance.

Social Services: Medical Records

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent estimate her Department has made of the proportion of social care providers that use only paper-based records.

Helen Whately: In 2021, ‘People at the Heart of Care’ set out a 10-year vision to reform adult social care, recognising the role of technology in improving the quality and safety of care. It committed to increasing the adoption of digital social care records by Care Quality Commission (CQC)-registered providers to 80% by March 2024.In June 2022, we announced £25 million for care providers via integrated care systems to adopt these technologies. The CQC’s data from August 2022 shows that approximately 50% of care providers currently have a digital social care record, an increase from 45% in March 2022. Based on local delivery plans, we are on schedule to meet the interim target of 60% adoption by March 2023.

Dental Services: Newcastle upon Tyne

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many children under the age of (a) four and (b) 11 were admitted to hospital for a tooth extraction due to decay in Newcastle in each of the last five years.

Kate Osamor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many children under the age of (a) four and (b) eleven were admitted to hospital for a tooth extraction due to decay in Edmonton constituency in each of the last five years.

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many children under the age of (a) four and (b) 11 were admitted to hospital for a tooth extraction due to decay in Slough hospital in each of the last five years.

Rachel Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many children under the age of (a) four and (b) 11 were admitted to hospital for tooth extraction due to decay in Luton South in each of the last five years.

Will Quince: This information is not held in the format requested.

Midwives: Lancaster and Fleetwood

Cat Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help support the (a) recruitment and (b) retention of midwives in Lancaster and Fleetwood constituency.

Will Quince: NHS England retains oversight of local workforce plans and is updated on vacancy rates. However, recruitment and retention is undertaken at trust level.In 2022, an additional £127 million has been invested in the National Health Service maternity workforce and improving neonatal care, including in Lancaster and Fleetwood. This is in addition to the £95 million invested in 2021 to fund a further 1,200 midwives and 100 consultant obstetricians. The NHS People Plan focuses on improving the retention of NHS staff by prioritising staff health and wellbeing. In 2022/23, £45 million has been allocated to support the continuation of 40 mental health hubs, the Professional Nurse Advocates programme and expanding the NHS Practitioner Health service.

General Practitioners: Hammersmith

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent estimate her Department has made of the number of GP practices open in Hammersmith constituency. today and what the number was in 2013.

Will Quince: In September 2013, there were 21 practices registered in Hammersmith and 20 practices are registered in October 2022.Practices close for a variety of reasons, including practice mergers or retirement and a reduction in practice numbers does not represent a reduction in the quality of care. When a practice does close, patients are informed and advised to register at another local practice of their choice. Practices and commissioners must put in place appropriate measures to ensure that the affected patients have access to general practitioner services.

Wales Office

Cost of Living: Wales

Chris Elmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, if he will publish all correspondence with Mark Drakeford on a joint and cooperative plan of action to tackle the cost of living crisis in Wales.

David T C Davies: It would be inappropriate to publish correspondence between my Department and the First Minister’s Office. My predecessor had multiple exchanges with the First Minister on the cost of living challenge, and I will ensure that such exchanges will continue.

Wales Office: Location

Florence Eshalomi: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what payments were made to civil servants in his Department for relocation costs to government offices outside London in 2021.

David T C Davies: None. The Office of the Secretary of State for Wales made no relocation payments to staff in 2021.

Ministry of Justice

Prisoners: Females

Matt Vickers: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of support for female prisoners.

Damian Hinds: The Female Offender Strategy (2018) set out the case for taking a gender specific and trauma responsive approach to female offenders. It provided a framework to deliver better outcomes for women at all points of the criminal justice system and to make society safer by tackling the underlying causes of offending and reoffending The Prisons Strategy White Paper, published in December 2021, provides our most recent assessment of support for women in custody, and reaffirms our intention to see a custodial environment that protects the public and supports effective rehabilitation. The White Paper sets out our approach for women’s prisons; one which is trauma responsive, recognises the distinct nature of women’s experience in custody, and provides the appropriate levels of support, particularly for pregnant women and those with young children.

Prisoners: Literacy

Sir Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to improve literacy rates in prison; what estimate he has made of illiteracy levels among prisoners (a) in 2022 and (b) in 2017; and if he will make a statement.

Damian Hinds: We are working to deliver a Prisoner Education Service that equips prisoners with the numeracy, literacy, and skills they need to get jobs after they leave custody.Since we introduced more consistent initial assessments in 2019, data has been relatively stable and indicates that many prisoners arrive with low levels of literacy. Our latest published data shows that, from April 2021 to March 2022, 61% of English initial assessment outcomes were at the entry levels 1-3 (equivalent to primary school). Data for 2022 will be published next year.Improving functional skills is a significant element of education provision and we set ambitious targets for education providers regarding learners successfully obtaining qualifications.We have also made progress on actions following Ofsted and HM Inspectorate of Prisons recent review of reading in prisons, including ensuring appropriate functional skills qualifications are delivered, increasing the scrutiny of library provision and piloting reading assessment tools.To improve support for prisoners with additional learning needs we have started to recruit new support managers for prisoners with conditions such as learning disabilities, autism, acquired brain injury or ADHD and we are trialling the use of new reading assessment tools.We are also trailing new approaches to encourage literacy including embedding literacy in workshops and vocational training as well as in football coaching via the Twinning project.

Gender Based Violence

Matt Vickers: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking through the criminal justice system to help tackle violence against women and girls.

Edward Argar: We are committed to improving the Criminal Justice System response to violence against women and girls. Last year, we published the End-to-End Rape Review. Since then, we have been making progress and adult rape convictions increased by 30% in 2021 (447 convictions) compared to 2019 (345 convictions). We are delivering the cross-system action plan by:More than quadrupling funding for victim support from £41m in 2009/10 to £192m by 2024/25;Increasing the number of Independent Sexual and Domestic Abuse Advisors to over 1,000 by 2024/25;Introducing a single source of 24/7 support for victims of rape and sexual abuse later this year;In September, we completed the rollout of pre-recorded cross-examination for victims of sexual and modern slavery offences in all Crown Courts in England and Wales;The Police and Crown Prosecution Service are rolling out a new investigatory model for rape, which focuses on the suspect’s rather than the victim’s behaviour, called Operation Soteria;In June, we announced enhanced specialist sexual violence support in selected Crown Courts which includes improving facilities & technology at court, ensuring strong on-site support, improving communication with victims and better training.

Young Offenders

Matt Vickers: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to tackle youth offending.

Damian Hinds: The government is committed to tackling youth offending, protecting the public and helping young people turn around their lives. In 2020/21, 15,800 children were cautioned or sentenced, a 17% decrease on the previous year and an 82% decrease over the previous ten years.In 2021/22, we invested £81.9 million in local authority youth offending teams, a £7 million (9%) increase in comparison to the year before to ensure that they can continue to tackle youth offending and reoffending.Furthermore, through the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022, we legislated to ensure that those young offenders who commit the most serious offences remain in prison for a period that reflects the seriousness of their offending.

Sexual Offences: Prosecutions

Simon Lightwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to tackle low prosecution rates for cases of rape and sexual assault.

Edward Argar: The government remains committed to improving the Criminal Justice System response to rape and increase the number of adult rape cases reaching court. In June 2021, we published the End-to-End Rape Review Action Plan which set out a programme of work to address problems across the system and set out a public ambition to more than double the number of adult rape cases reaching court by the end of this Parliament. We continue to deliver on the cross-system Action Plan by:More than quadrupling funding for victim support from £41m in 2009/10 to £192m by 2024/25 and increasing the number of Independent Sexual and Domestic Abuse Advisors to over 1,000 by 2024/25;Introducing a single source of 24/7 support for victims of rape and sexual abuse later this year;The police and Crown Prosecution Service are continuing to roll out a new investigatory model for rape – known as Operation Soteria – which focuses on the suspect’s, rather than the victim’s, behaviour. This has now begun operating across 19 police forces;This September we also completed the rollout of pre-recorded cross-examination for victims of sexual and modern slavery offences in all Crown Courts in England and Wales. This will spare victims the glare of a live courtroom;In June, we announced enhanced specialist sexual violence support in selected Crown Courts which includes improving facilities & technology at court, ensuring strong on-site support, improving communication with victims and better training;To help improve waiting times for victims of crime and reduce the Crown Court backlog, over the next three financial years, we are also investing an extra £477 million for the Criminal Justice System. These measures are starting to have an impact. According to latest data, we are currently on-track to reach our ambitions set out in the Rape Review.

Legal Aid Scheme: Housing

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of fixed recoverable costs on the ability of housing legal aid providers to carry out legal aid work.

Edward Argar: The extension of Fixed Recoverable Costs (FRC) will control legal costs and make them more certain. We have exceptionally decided to delay the extension of FRC to legally aided housing possession cases for two years. Lord Bellamy KC met the Housing Law Practitioners Association (HLPA) to discuss the impact of FRC on 23 September 2022 and there have been subsequent discussions between HLPA and MoJ officials. The government will continue to keep FRC and its impact on legal aid under review.

Treasury

High Income Child Benefit Tax Charge

Matt Vickers: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of increasing the High Income Child Benefit charge to reflect trends in the level of inflation.

John Glen: The Government is committed to managing the public finances in a disciplined and responsible way. The adjusted net income threshold of £50,000 for the High Income Child Benefit Charge, which impacts a relatively small minority of taxpayers, ensures the Government supports the majority of Child Benefit claimants, whilst helping to ensure the fiscal position remains sustainable.

Gluten-free Foods: Prices

Mary Kelly Foy: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has had recent discussions with Cabinet colleagues on the potential impact of rising prices of gluten-free products on people with coeliac disease.

John Glen: Since being appointed on 14 October, the Chancellor has regularly discussed with Cabinet colleagues the cost of living challenge. The UK Government continues to monitor prices closely using the Consumer Prices Index and to work with industry to promote transparency for consumers. Staple gluten free items remain available on NHS prescription to people with coeliac disease.

Energy: Government Assistance

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department's review of the energy support that will be offered after April 2023 will consider multi-function premises which are used for both residential and business purposes but have one business electricity account.

James Cartlidge: Through the Energy Bill Relief Scheme (EBRS), the government will provide a discount on wholesale gas and electricity prices for all non-domestic consumers (including UK businesses, the voluntary and public sectors). This is a temporary measure that will protect them from soaring energy costs and provide them with the certainty they need to plan through the acute crisis this winter. It will apply to energy usage from 1 October 2022 to 31 March 2023. It is the Government’s intention that after this winter support targets only the most vulnerable businesses. A Treasury-led review will consider how best to deliver these objectives. As part of the review, we will ensure that all relevant considerations are taken into account.

Bank Cards: Fraud

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 21 October 2022 to Question 62133, what assessment he has made of the cost to small businesses of chargebacks by consumers for fraudulent telephone card payments.

Andrew Griffith: Chargebacks form part of commercial card scheme rules, allowing a cardholder to request that a payment is reversed in certain circumstances, for example if purchased goods are not delivered. It is important to note that the chargeback facility is not a statutory protection, but is instead a commercial provision by card schemes (e.g. Visa or Mastercard) at their own discretion, and which participating banks, merchants, and relevant parties subscribe to.In cases of unauthorised payments, for example if a fraudster made use of another person’s card details to make an unauthorised telephone card payment, statutory protections would usually apply instead, which hold the customer’s payment service provider (e.g. their bank) liable for reimbursement of any unauthorised payments (rather than a retailer or equivalent business). This process should not involve reversal of the transaction via chargeback.

Video Games: Tax Allowances

Carol Monaghan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Irish Government’s recent announcement of a higher rate of video games tax relief at 32 per cent on the UK's video games sector; and whether he plans to accept the recommendation of The Independent Game Developers’ Association (TIGA) to increase the rate of video games tax relief in the UK.

James Cartlidge: The Government recognises the valuable economic and cultural contribution of the video games industry. The Video Games Tax Relief (VGTR) has supported £5.1 billion of UK expenditure on 1,940 games since its introduction in 2014. At Spending Review 2021 the government confirmed £8 million for the continuation of the UK Games Fund which provides bespoke support for the UK’s independent video game industry. The Government regularly receives proposals for changes to tax reliefs. When considering changes, the Government must ensure they provide support to businesses in a fair way and that taxpayer money is effectively targeted. An uplift in the rate of VGTR is not currently under consideration. However, the Government keeps all tax reliefs under review.

Alcoholic Drinks: Excise Duties

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate his Department has made of the fiscal impact of the planned changes to alcohol duty from August 2023.

James Cartlidge: The purpose of the Treasury's alcohol duty reforms is not to raise revenue; it will cost approximately £100 million per year. The fiscal impact of the reforms to alcohol duties announced at Autumn Budget 2021 are set out in Table 5.1 of the Autumn Budget and Spending Review 2021 document and have been certified by the Office for Budget Responsibility.  Further detail can be found in the policy costings document published alongside Autumn Budget and Spending Review 2021.

Childcare: Tax Allowances

Ben Lake: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether people eligible for the tax-free childcare allowance can access that allowance before 31 days prior to a relevant leave period; and if he will make an assessment of the clarity of gov.uk guidance on that allowance, including in relation to adoption leave.

John Glen: People on all forms of parental leave (including maternity, paternity and shared parental leave) can continue to use Tax-Free Childcare for children other than the child that is the subject of the parental leave. They are not eligible for that child while on leave but can use Tax-Free Childcare from 31 days before returning to work, assuming they are expecting to return to work. People on all forms of parental leave (including maternity, paternity and shared parental leave) can continue to use Tax-Free Childcare whilst on leave for children other than the child that is the subject of the parental leave. They are not eligible for that child while on leave but can use Tax-Free Childcare from 31 days before returning to work, assuming they are expecting to return to work. Feedback on HMRC continually keep its guidance under review. Feedback on the Childcare Services pages of gov.uk HMRC guidance is positive. Online customer service results have been consistently over 92% over the last twelve months.

Credit Unions

Colum Eastwood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of Section 63 and Schedule 14 of the Financial Services and Markets Bill on parity of Northern Ireland credits unions with those in Great Britain.

Andrew Griffith: The Government is a strong supporter of the mutuals sector and recognises the unique role credit unions play in their communities, providing savings and affordable loans to their members. Clause 63 introduces Schedule 14 of the Financial Services and Markets Bill 2022, which makes amendments to the Credit Unions Act 1979 to allow credit unions in Great Britain to offer a wider range of products and services, thereby supporting the growth, diversification, and development of the sector. Responsibility for credit unions in Northern Ireland is a devolved matter. Officials have engaged with counterparts in the Northern Ireland Department for the Economy and are willing to engage further should they wish to implement something similar for credit unions in Northern Ireland.

Debts

Colleen Fletcher: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment he has made of trends in the regional spread of household debt in each of the last three years.

Andrew Griffith: I refer the Hon Member to the answer that I gave on 28 October 2022 to PQ UIN71099.

Health and Social Care Levy and National Insurance Contributions

James Murray: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Answer of 8 March 2022 to Question 134097 on Health and Social Care Levy and National Insurance Contributions, if he will publish the further estimate of the cost for changes to HMRC’s IT systems and extra support staff.

James Murray: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the oral contribution by the Economic Secretary to the Treasury to the debate on the Health and Social Care Levy (Repeal) Bill on 11 October 2022, Official Report, column 95, what estimate he has made of the cost of changes arising from the Bill.

Victoria Atkins: Work to conclude the Health and Social Care Levy (HSCL) is ongoing, so a final quantification of the cost of changes to HMRC’s IT systems as a result of the HSCL and the costs of any extra support staff required is not yet available. A full estimate is still intended to be published once work is concluded. The cost of changes arising from the reversal of the HSCL and in-year reductions to National Insurance rates are currently being quantified, and an estimate will be made available in due course.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Global Fund to Fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of increasing UK contributions to Global Fund programmes that help tackle (a) AIDS, (b) tuberculosis, and (c) malaria.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The Global Fund is a high-performing organisation that, with partners, has saved 50 million lives to date. The Global Fund has contributed to a reduction in the mortality of AIDS, TB and malaria by over half since 2002 and plays a key role in ending the preventable deaths of the three diseases.The UK is a co-founder of the Global Fund and its third-largest donor historically, investing over £4.4 billion to date. At the seventh replenishment pledging conference, the UK committed to remain a strong supporter of the Global Fund. Ministers are carefully assessing the case for the quantum of the UK's funding and will announce our pledge in the coming weeks.The Government continues to support the innovation in science and technology to combat these diseases though further investments in research and development. We have invested around £400 million in Product Development Partnerships which have led to the development on the dapivirine HIV prevention vaginal ring and the world's first child-friendly antimalarial drug. Our commitments to UNITAID and the Innovative Vector Control Consortium also support innovations in the fight against the three diseases.

Ministry of Defence

Veterans: Medical Records

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what proportion of veteran’s medical records have been digitised.

Dr Andrew Murrison: With the introduction of the Defence Medical Information Capability Programme (DMICP), the electronic patient record system for the Armed Forces, the vast majority of personnel who have left service since 2010 will have had a Ministry of Defence (MOD) digital primary healthcare record. Conversely, those who left the Armed Forces prior to the introduction of DMICP are likely to have a paper, rather than digital, record.When personnel leave the Armed Forces, their healthcare becomes the responsibility of the NHS in the majority of cases. One to three months before discharge, Service personnel are required to register with an NHS GP. The GP then requests the individual's service medical records from the MOD. After the records are received, how they are held is the responsibility of the NHS.

Veterans: Identity Cards

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent progress his Department has made on phase two of the roll-out of veterans ID cards.

Dr Andrew Murrison: Phase one of the Veterans' Recognition Scheme is complete, with Service leavers receiving a HM Armed Forces Veterans' Recognition Card as part of the discharge process; since December 2018, over 56,000 such Cards have been issued to Service leavers. Phase two will extend the scheme to existing veterans so they can more quickly, easily, and securely prove they served in the UK Armed Forces.As announced during Armed Forces week, more than £1 million in new money is being invested into a new digital service for veterans. This will make it easier and quicker to demonstrate military service in order to access a range of Government and charity services and will in turn help ensure that Recognition Cards are given only to those with verified service. The Government remains committed to delivering Veterans' Recognition Cards and will advise of a timescale for final delivery when this work is complete.

Veterans: Mental Health Services

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to ensure robust mental health assessments for those leaving the military with a physical injury, even where no symptoms have presented, to improve the speed of access to support or treatment.

Dr Andrew Murrison: It is mandatory for all Armed Forces personnel to have a Structured Mental Health Assessment at their discharge medical examination. This will highlight any unknown mental health needs and enable signposting and referral where necessary. This may be to NHS services such as OP COURAGE which provides a complete mental healthcare pathway for service leavers in England with similar services in other parts of the UK or to a MOD Department of Community Mental Health, where an individual can access mental healthcare for six months following their discharge.More broadly, all Armed Forces personnel who are unable to undertake normal duties, (including those wounded, injured or sick) will enter the Defence Recovery Capability. Each of the Armed Forces has a Recovery Pathway that optimises an individual's recovery or transition to civilian life. This is underpinned by an Individual Recovery Plan. Factors within the Plan are assessed using the HARDFACTS criteria: Health, Accommodation, Relocation, Drugs/Alcohol/Stress, Finance, Attitude, Children and Family, Training, Resettlement, Employment and Support Agencies. Consequently, any Service person in a Recovery Pathway will receive an ongoing holistic assessment by their Personal Recovery Officer, regardless of whether the individual is medically discharged or leaves Service by another mechanism.The Veterans Welfare Service and Defence Transition Service are both components of Veterans UK. These services deliver additional support to Service leavers with enduring welfare needs and those vulnerable personnel on a casework model following discharge.

Defence Business Services: Equality

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the impact of the Defence Business Service workplace programme on workers with protected characteristics.

Dr Andrew Murrison: Equality Impact Assessments which cover protected characteristics have been undertaken and updated as part of the options evaluation process that culminated in the approval of a final business case in July 2022. The Assessment was most recently updated in September 2022 with feedback from the Trade Unions and members of the staff Equality & Diversity network. It will be regularly reviewed in consultation with TUs and staff representatives throughout the lifecycle of the programme.

Defence Business Services: Offices

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Defence Business Service work place programme, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of relocating staff into existing government hubs in Liverpool and Manchester compared with consolidating staff workplaces to a single site.

Alex Chalk: Consolidation at a single location was decided at stage one of a multi-stage assessment process and enables Defence Business Services to offer more flexible career opportunities for staff and options for efficient delivery of services. The down selection of options was made by comparing the qualitative benefits and through life costs of potential sites based on several factors including operational risk, sustainability, and compliance with key user requirements.

Department for Work and Pensions

Pensions: Private Sector

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment her Department has made of the impact of the present economic situation on private sector pensions schemes; and if she will take steps to ensure that any higher contribution costs introduced in such schemes as a result of the present economic situation are met by increased employer, not employee, contributions.

Laura Trott: Pension schemes operate over very long timescales and the long term performance of their investments is more important to outcomes than any short term volatility. Since 2021 rising gilt yields have had a positive impact on the funding of defined benefit pension schemes. Aggregate funding has improved substantially, and a large number of schemes now have a funding surplus. The magnitude and speed of the rise in gilt yields at the end of September caused a significant liquidity squeeze for DB pension schemes that use liability driven investments (LDI) to hedge against low interest rates and their LDI providers, but any economic losses are very likely to be more than offset by improvements to scheme funding positions. As aggregate funding positions are likely to have improved, we do not expect to see any general need for increased contributions from employers or members. The value of investments can change in defined contribution (DC) schemes, though these vehicles are designed to maximise outcomes over the long term and offer choices at retirement. In schemes used for automatic enrolment there are statutory minimum contribution rates, but employers can offer higher contributions, which members can choose to take up, should they so wish.

Pensions

Sir Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, in what circumstances a man's pension that is subject to a Section 32 buyout policy will not pay out until the age of 65; and for what reasons there are restrictions on pensions subject to a buyout policy.

Laura Trott: A Section 32 buy-out policy is an individual contract between an individual and usually an insurance company, purchased using funds transferred from an occupational pension scheme. Such a contract can and may pay out before the age of 65 for a man. However, a Section 32 policy may contain a Guaranteed Minimum Pension (GMP), and where it does, it must, as a minimum, pay a GMP from age 65 for a man or 60 for a woman, regardless of investment performance. Where there are insufficient funds to pay additional benefits, a Section 32 policy may therefore pay out only the GMP from these ages. This is a valuable guarantee, as it means that a person’s retirement income cannot decline below the amount of the GMP.

Question

Kate Kniveton: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to help support people recovering from drug and alcohol addiction into work.

Mims Davies: DWP offers a range of tailored support to help individuals recovering from a dependency move into work. The Individual Placement and Support for Drug and Alcohol Dependency programme blends intensive job-search and in-work support with clinical treatment to enable individuals with a dependency to overcome barriers to employment. IPS teams are currently operating in 46 Local Authority areas and the programme will rolled out to Local Authorities in England by 2025. Individuals with a history of drug or alcohol dependence can also receive tailored support from our dedicated work coaches, such as the adjustment of Universal Credit work-search requirements and access to the Access to Work grant for any adaptations required in the workplace. They are also able to gain priority access to the Work and Health Programme, which supports people to enter and stay in work.

Pensioners: Coventry

Colleen Fletcher: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what support her Department is providing to pensioners in (a) Coventry North East constituency and (b) Coventry to mitigate the effects of the rising cost of living.

Laura Trott: This winter, pensioner households in Coventry North East constituency and Coventry, will receive an increased Winter Fuel Payment of £500 or £600 depending on their age. This will be paid on top of any other one-off support they are entitled to, for example where they are on Pension Credit or receive disability benefits, including the £650 Cost of Living Payment.

Workplace Pensions: Monitoring

Mary Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to ensure effective oversight of workplace pension schemes.

Laura Trott: The Pension Schemes Act 2021 provides The Pensions Regulator with new powers to target people who intentionally or knowingly mishandle pension schemes, or put workers’ pensions at risk.

Work and Health Programme

Paul Maynard: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent progress he has made on delivering the Work and Health Programme.

Tom Pursglove: The Work and Health Programme provides support primarily to help inactive and unemployed disabled people and disadvantaged groups who are motivated to work and expect to find work within 12 months. Participants receive up to 15 months pre-employment support and up to six months light touch in-work support. As of May 2022, the programme has delivered personalised support for 220,000 inactive and unemployed people, including 170,000 disabled people. 88,000 participants have achieved first earnings from employment and 53,000 participants have achieved a job outcome. In the most recent three months to May 2022, both measures exceeded pre-pandemic levels. Over three quarters of starts, first earnings and job outcomes on the programme are disabled people. We are extending referrals to the programme from November 2022 to September 2024, providing additional support for around 100,000 people; we expect most of these to be disabled people.

Social Security Benefits: Appeals

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent estimate he has made of the average waiting time for mandatory reconsideration of benefit decisions.

Tom Pursglove: The average (median) waiting times for Mandatory Reconsiderations are 57 calendar days for PIP, 51 calendar days for UC, and 10 calendar days for ESA-WCA. Whilst we endeavour to complete Mandatory Reconsiderations without delay, our overarching focus is on taking the time necessary to thoroughly review all the available evidence to help ensure we make the right decision.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Electronic Cigarettes: Environment Protection

Kirsten Oswald: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the environmental impact of vaping products.

Trudy Harrison: The Department has not undertaken an assessment of the environmental impact of disposable vapes in the UK.

Algae: Marine Environment

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 13 October 2022 to Question 59085 on Algae: Marine Environment, whether her Department plans to implement policies to remedy harmful algae blooms.

Trudy Harrison: Algal blooms, including harmful ones, are, and always have been, a natural feature of our seas. Most marine blooms are harmless, but some harmful effects, whilst rare, do sometimes occur. The Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) and the Environment Agency (EA) respond to such incidents where appropriate.Both Harmful and non-Harmful Algal Blooms in the UK are influenced by natural, wide-ranging factors such as weather, hydrography, and climate. A range of factors affects the occurrence, frequency, location, timing and intensity of bloom formation, including upwelling currents, winds, vertical mixing, surface water temperature, and nutrient supply. Shifting climatic regimes and long-term temperature changes are further influences. Cefas and the EA undertake monitoring to help to understand and predict these changes. Early-warning systems for aquaculture and health protection are being developed, such as the HABreport system in Scotland (https://www.habreports.org/).Policies to control the existence or growth of algal blooms are most focused on reducing the human factors which can exacerbate them. Whilst algal blooms are naturally occurring, factors such as excess nutrients and warming seas can increase their frequency and intensity. Reducing or mitigating other pressures which affect marine life may help to strengthen their resilience to bloom events.

Dredging: Shellfish

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the oral evidence session of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee on 25 October 2022, if she will make an assessment of the implications for her policies of the evidence on the potential impact of dredging on shellfish and crabs; and if she will take steps to pause dredging in the mouth of the River Tees.

Mark Spencer: Defra policies are evidence based and use the best scientific evidence available. A marine licence to dispose of dredged materials to sea requires the sediments to be characterised to allow the potential impact on the marine environment, including on marine life, to be considered. The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) is advised by Cefas on what sampling and testing should be carried out for each individual licence application. These requirements are tailored to the dredged site and depend on the local marine environment and any known sources of contamination or historic inputs in the area. Defra’s position on dredging in the mouth of the River Tees has not changed: Defra and its agencies have no current plans to pause dredging in the area. Defra led a comprehensive investigation into the cause of dead crabs and lobsters that washed up on the North-East coast between October and December last year. HM Government scientists carried out extensive testing for chemicals and other pollutants including pyridine but concluded a naturally occurring algal bloom was the most likely cause. We recognise the concerns in regard to dredging, but no evidence was found to suggest this was a likely cause. Before a marine licence can be granted to allow dredged sediment to be disposed, samples of dredge material must be tested, and they must meet high international standards protecting marine life before it is permitted to be disposed of at sea. If samples analysed for contaminants do not meet the standards, the disposal to sea of that material will not be licensed. It has been incorrectly reported in the media that Defra scientists suggested that capital dredging for South Bank Quay should stop. Defra and its agencies have no current plans to pause dredging in the River Tees. The MMO makes licensing decisions based on the best available evidence. Powers under the Marine and Coastal Access Act (2009) can be triggered to suspend, vary or revoke the licence for certain reasons if information comes to light once a marine licence has been granted. These reasons include an increase in scientific knowledge relating to the environment or human health and must be based on robust evidence. We welcome research carried out by universities around the high number of crab and lobster deaths that occurred in the North-East last year and are keen to review it in detail. As such, the Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority for the North-East contacted the researchers and asked for them to share their research in full with Defra and its agencies so that it can be considered carefully. We are yet to receive the data but will review it thoroughly when the researchers are able to share it. It is not possible for conclusions to be appropriately made by regulators, scientific advisors or policy makers without having access to the information in full.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: EU Law

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will publish (a) the cost to his department of delivering the EU Exit Statutory Instrument programme in (i) 2018 and (ii) 2019 and (b) how much cumulative staff time was spent on this work in terms of FTEs; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Spencer: The information requested is not collated centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost. Defra held one of the largest EU Exit Statutory Instrument programmes across HM Government. The Department laid 108 Statutory Instruments directly related to EU Exit in 2018 and 161 in 2019. The REUL Bill will make it easier to amend, repeal or replace REUL and build on this previous work, the Department is currently assessing where these new secondary powers should be utilised, which will inform our approach to resourcing.

Environmental Land Management Schemes: Hedges and Ditches

Olivia Blake: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make it her policy to ensure that hedgerows are central to Environmental Land Management Schemes, including the provision of funding to plant and restore hedgerows that enhance local landscape character.

Mark Spencer: Hedgerows and field boundaries are the very essence of our British countryside. They provide vital resources for mammals, birds, and insect species. Many are also important historical and cultural landscape features. Our new environmental land management schemes will fund the management of hedgerows, in recognition of their historical, cultural and environmental value to our countryside. Capital grants to support the planting and reinstatement of hedgerows are currently available via the Countryside Stewardship scheme.

Pheasants: Imports

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many pheasant (a) eggs for hatching and (b) live birds were imported from each (i) EU country and (ii) third country in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Mark Spencer: For imports of pheasant eggs for hatching and live pheasants from EU countries in the last 12 months, the information is in the tables below: CountryNumber of ConsignmentsNumber of pheasant eggs for hatchingDenmark122000France66300366Hungary378840Poland7113000Spain9193280Grand Total86707486 CountryNumber of ConsignmentsNumber of live pheasantsFrance9165100Hungary27500Poland310400Republic of Ireland7121716Grand Total21304,716 The data above covers the period from 26 October 2021 to 26 October 2022 and was extracted from the Post Import Management System. There have been no imports of pheasant eggs for hatching and live pheasants from third countries in the last 12 months. This data was extracted from the Import of products, animals, food and feed system (IPAFFS).

Agriculture: Government Assistance

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he will take to support famers on delivering (a) nature recovery and (b) other vital services.

Mark Spencer: We know that farmers face many pressures. Farmers do essential work in producing high quality food for consumption at home and for export. In the light of the current global economic situation, we know that the cost of inputs has gone up, which might make it more difficult for farmers to both improve the natural environment and underpin food production. We are looking at the frameworks for regulation, innovation and investment that impact farmers and land managers, to make sure that our policies, including nature recovery, are best placed to both boost food production and protect the environment. We are designing all our schemes, including our farming investment fund and environmental land management schemes to be accessible and supportive. We’ll continue to work closely with the sector to ensure these are designed and rolled out in their best interests, delivering the outcomes that the British people want to see.

Environmental Land Management Schemes: Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the scope for Environmental Land Management schemes to contribute to reducing the emissions from the agriculture and land use sector by at least two thirds as outlined in the Government's net zero strategy.

Mark Spencer: In October 2021 we published our Net Zero Strategy, including indicative sector pathways to meet net zero targets, including for the agriculture, forestry and other land use sector. As published in January 2022, we anticipate the collective actions of farmers under our environmental land management scheme agreements, together with our other farming offers such as the Farming Investment Fund, will decarbonise agricultural emissions by a total of up to 6 MtCO2e p.a. in Carbon Budget 6 (2033-37) in England. We are designing the environmental land management schemes so that farmers will be paid to deliver climate change mitigation alongside other public goods.

Farms

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an estimate of the total number of farms in England in each of the last five years.

Mark Spencer: Statistical estimates of the number of commercial agricultural holdings in England in each of the last five years are shown in the table below. Commercial holdings are those registered with the Rural Payments Agency for payments or livestock purposes and with significant levels of farming activity (as recorded in responses to the Defra June Survey of Agriculture or the Cattle Tracing System). Holdings are only included if they have more than five hectares of agricultural land, one hectare of orchards, 0.5 hectares of vegetables or 0.1 hectares of protected crops, or more than 10 cows, 50 pigs, 20 sheep, 20 goats or 1,000 poultry. YearNumber of commercial holdings2017105,9252018106,0352019106,1002020(a)107,0792021105,220  (a) It was not possible to run a full-scale June Survey in 2020 due to the Coronavirus outbreak. A small-scale survey was run instead to allow us to produce national estimates of key crop areas and livestock populations. As a result, it was not possible to update the survey population and figures for 2020 are less robust and should be treated with caution.

Hedges and Ditches

Olivia Blake: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she will include capital support for planting new or reinstating hedgerows within the new Sustainable Farming Incentive.

Mark Spencer: Following our exit from the Common Agricultural Policy, environmentally sustainable farming will be fundamental to our approach to England’s agricultural system. The development of our new environmental land management schemes will continue to recognise the role and fund the management of hedgerows. For example, a Hedgerow Standard has been included within the initial phase of piloting of the Sustainable Farming Incentive scheme. Capital grants to support the planting and reinstatement of hedgerows are currently available via the Countryside Stewardship scheme. We are working with Sustainable Farming Incentive pilot participants to gather learning from the pilot version of the Standard and are incorporating this feedback into the development of the live version of the Hedgerow Standard and its supporting capital items, which are due to be rolled out into the scheme in 2023.

Cereals: International Cooperation

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what support he is providing to international efforts to improve transparency on the reporting of national grain reserves.

Mark Spencer: We continue to actively engage with international partners in the Agricultural Market Information System (AMIS). AMIS aims to improve market information and transparency by encouraging major players on the agri-food markets to share data and by enhancing existing information systems.

Animal Welfare: Cost of Living

Alex Davies-Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has made a recent assessment of the potential impact of the rising cost of living on the (a) veterinary, (b) pet food, (c) energy and (d) animal care supplies costs associated with companion animal welfare.

Mark Spencer: HM Government is concerned about the impact of rising bills on all aspects of people's lives and businesses, including the costs associated with companion animal welfare. Defra remains in close contact with animal welfare organisations and meets them regularly to understand issues that are affecting the sector, including the impact of rising bills on veterinary, pet food, energy and animal care supply costs.The details of the Energy Bill Relief Scheme were announced on 21st September 2022. The scheme will initially run for six months covering energy use from 1st October 2022 until 31 st March 2023. The scheme applies to all non-domestic energy customers, including businesses involved with companion animal welfare that are on eligible contracts.To support households, HM Government's Energy Price Guarantee will reduce the unit cost of electricity and gas so that a typical household in Great Britain will save around £700 this Winter, based on what energy prices would have been under the current price cap - reducing bills by roughly a third. The scheme will run from 1st October to 31st March, with a Treasury-led review underway to consider more targeted support after this period.Sector groups are closely monitoring the impact of the cost-of-living crisis and identifying where more support may be needed. We welcome the support they are providing through pet food banks and financial support with veterinary treatment during these difficult times.

Avian Flu: EU Law

Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether clause 1 of the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill will apply to the Avian Influenza and Influenza of Avian Origin in Mammals (England) (No.2) Order 2006.

Mark Spencer: The Avian Influenza and Influenza of Avian Origin in Mammals (England) (No.2) Order 2006 (as amended) S.I. 2702/2006 was not made under section 2(2) of the European Communities Act 1972, and therefore it does not fall within the scope of Clause 1 of the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: EU Law

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when he will publish the details of all the legislation that falls under his Department’s remit that will be subject to (a) revocation or (b) reform under the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Spencer: Defra is in the process of analysing its REUL stock and determining what should be preserved as part of domestic law, as well as REUL that should be repealed, or amended. The Department is currently undertaking a programme to coordinate this analysis. Confirmed REUL is available on the public dashboard, owned by the Brexit Opportunities Unit. This will be updated quarterly. Defra will continue to review its position to identify any remaining REUL and to update the dashboard as required should further REUL be confirmed. Where appropriate, the department will also continue to make use of powers within our Agriculture, Fisheries and Environment Acts in parallel.

Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill

Ben Lake: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the not passing of the Animal Welfare (Kept Animals Bill) on (a) pets, (b) puppy smuggling, (c) livestock and (d) live exports.

Mark Spencer: The Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill (“the Bill”) was reintroduced to the House of Commons in May. The Bill is part of a wider package of measures to improve animal welfare for a wide range of animals as set out in our Action Plan for Animal Welfare, which was published in May 2021. The Bill will have a positive impact in relation to pets, puppy smuggling, livestock and live exports, and it will continue its passage as soon as Parliamentary time allows.

Plastics: Packaging

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make it his policy to ban single use plastic in food packaging.

Trudy Harrison: Plastic has an important role to play in certain applications and we must think carefully about how we solve the problems that arise from plastic waste in order to avoid unintended consequences. Therefore, we intend to take forward the proposals set out in HM Government Response to the consultation on packaging extended producer responsibility and to introduce measures to incentivise producers to make better, more sustainable decisions in their design and use of packaging and to require more packaging to be recycled at end of use. For particularly problematic packaging items, we are seeking to go further. We have recently consulted on proposals to ban expanded and extruded polystyrene food and beverage containers, including cups. Businesses are also seeking to go further. In April 2018, WRAP and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation launched their world-leading UK Plastics Pact, with support from HM Government, and all the major supermarkets have signed up to it. The Pact brings organisations from across the plastics value chain together with four key targets for 2025 that aim to reduce the amount of plastic packaging waste generated. These targets include action to eliminate problematic or unnecessary single-use plastic packaging items.

Sewage: Waste Disposal

Rosie Duffield: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the effects of raw sewage discharges on local economies.

Trudy Harrison: Defra has not carried out a formal assessment specifically on the effects of raw sewage discharges on local economies. However, our published impact assessment acknowledges and describes the potential scale of benefits attributable to widespread improvements in coastal bathing water condition or preventing its deterioration.

Electronic Equipment: Waste Disposal

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department took to mark International E-Waste Day.

Trudy Harrison: International E-Waste day was supported in the United Kingdom by Material Focus and WEEE compliance Scheme, Repic Ltd, with a message encouraging consumers to keep their unwanted and working small electrical devices in use for longer. HM Government is currently reviewing the United Kingdom’s regulations on managing e-waste to explore policy options aimed at driving up levels of collections for re-use and recycling.

Roads: Noise

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the level of road noise (a) in the London Borough of Havering and (b) around the Romford Ring Road.

Trudy Harrison: HM Government is committed to ensuring that noise is managed effectively to promote good health and minimise disruption to people's quality of life.My department is required to produce strategic noise maps and subsequent action planning for transport noise, including noise from road sources, under the terms of the Environmental Noise (England) Regulations 2006, every five years to help manage noise.The Regulations also require that Noise Action Plans for roads identify Important Areas, where the 1% of the population affected by the highest noise levels is located. This approach has been taken in order to target mitigation efforts towards those at greatest risk of experiencing a significant adverse impact to health and quality of life as a result of their exposure to noise.The latest Noise Action Plan for roads was published in 2019 and is available at: Noise Action Plan (2019): Roads (publishing.service.GOV.UK). It shows a number of Important Areas around Romford including Rush Green; Chadwell Heath; Elm Park; and the Romford Ring Road that should be prioritised for investigation and, where appropriate, mitigation action by the highways authorities. The Noise Action Plan for roads will be updated following the next Round of mapping which is due to be completed in 2023.

Fracking: Environment Protection

Jim McMahon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of the extraction of shale gas on the environment; and if he will publish those assessments.

Trudy Harrison: The Environment Agency (EA) has been working on defining, assessing and controlling the potential environmental impacts of shale gas developments since 2013 when it produced and published a document titled An Environmental Risk Assessment for shale gas exploratory operations in England Published. This defined the range of environmental risks and the current regulatory controls and was the starting point for development of sector specific guidance. The current version of Onshore Oil and Gas Sector Guidance was published in 2019. It sets out what activities require environmental permits and how an applicant is required to demonstrate that the impact on the environment from these activities will be controlled. The potential environmental impact of each site is assessed individually based on its specific environmental setting. Applicants are required to identify all environmental risks and provide a full demonstration of how these will be controlled. The EA assessed this information and sets out the limits and controls in a permit and how it reached the decision in an accompanying decision document. The EA has undertaken a programme of scientific research on a range of topics relating to risk assessment and monitoring of potential impacts from hydraulic fracturing and shale gas. Since 2019 it has published 18 separate reports. The EA has liaised closely with government and industry bodies such as the Health and Safety Executive, the North Sea Transition Authority and UK Onshore Oil & Gas, so that scientific evidence and research findings are shared and understood.

Nature Conservation

Jim McMahon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department will take to meet the habitat restoration targets set out in the 25 Year Environment Plan; and if he will make a statement.

Trudy Harrison: The Environment Act 2021 introduced a number of policies that will support the restoration of habitat. Biodiversity net gain, Local Nature Recovery Strategies (LNRS) and a strengthened biodiversity duty on public authorities will work together to drive action, including to create or restore habitats that enable wildlife to recover and thrive, while conservation covenants will help secure habitat for the long term. LNRSs will provide the spatial framework for the Nature Recovery Network, which will guide creation, restoration and connectivity of habitats and sites to create mosaics of wildlife-rich habitat; and incentivise private partnerships. The Nature for Climate Fund provides £750 million for the creation, restoration and management of woodland and peatland habitats. The Green Recovery Challenge Fund is estimated to deliver 0.6mha of habitat creation and restoration within & outside SSSIs. We set a target to raise at least £500 million in private finance to support nature’s recovery every year by 2027 in England, rising to more than £1 billion by 2030. This includes investment in protected sites and other landscape-scale action through delivery of the Nature Recovery Network. The Environment Act also requires a new legally binding target to be set to halt the decline in species abundance by 2030, in addition to at least one other long-term target for biodiversity. These world leading targets will drive wide-ranging actions to deliver nature recovery. We know that to meet them we will need large-scale habitat creation and restoration and that by improving connectivity we will maximise the benefits of newly created and restored habitat.

Environment Protection: Capital Investment

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department plans to take steps to maintain environmental protections in proposed investment zones.

Trudy Harrison: We have been clear about the importance of environmental protection across the United Kingdom, not least through our world leading Environment Act, which includes a legally binding target to halt the decline of nature by 2030.  We are committed to meeting this target and will not undermine our obligations to the environment in pursuit of growth.Defra and DLUHC are working closely together on Investment Zone policy to support our growth objectives and maintain HM Government’s strong position on the environment.

Per- and Polyfluorinated Alkyl Substances

Claire Hanna: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will take steps to ban nonessential per-and poly-fluoroalkyl substances to help tackle chemicals of national concern under the Government’s 25-year Environment Plan.

Trudy Harrison: PFAS represent a group of thousands of chemicals, with hundreds used commercially across many sectors of industry and society. There is increasing evidence of the occurrence of PFAS in the environment and, once in the environment, PFAS are persistent. There is also growing concern regarding the risks to human health. Action has already been taken to ban or highly restrict specific PFAS both domestically and internationally. However, PFAS represent a very diverse group of chemicals with a wide range of uses for which safer and more sustainable alternatives are not yet available -- making this a very challenging issue to tackle. Work is underway across government to help us assess levels of PFAS occurring in the environment, their sources and potential risks to inform future policy and regulatory approaches. In the UK REACH Work Programme for 2021-22, Defra asked the EA and HSE to examine the risks posed by PFAS and develop a ‘Regulatory Management Options Analysis’ (RMOA). The RMOA will be published in due course and will make recommendations for risk management measures. Defra and the Devolved Administrations will carefully consider its recommendations to inform future PFAS policy, building on the commitment in the 25 Year Environment Plan to tackle chemicals of concern.

Nature Conservation: Capital Investment

Ben Lake: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department is taking steps with Cabinet colleagues to ensure the maintenance of (a) species protection, (b) conservation orders, (c) nature restoration and (d) other key nature protections within new investment zones.

Trudy Harrison: We have been clear about the importance of environmental protection across the United Kingdom, not least through our world leading Environment Act, which includes a legally binding target to halt the decline of nature by 2030.  We are committed to meeting this target and will not undermine our obligations to the environment in pursuit of growth.Defra and DLUHC are working closely together on Investment Zone policy to support our growth objectives and maintain HM Government’s strong position on the environment.

Nature Conservation

Ben Lake: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that the UK protects nature in accordance with its commitments at the Convention of COP-15.

Trudy Harrison: In the United Kingdom domestic biodiversity policy is devolved. The four nations work together to develop a collective response to United Kingdom wide goals and targets, such as the post-2020 global framework, expected to be agreed at the Convention on Biological Diversity's (CBD) Fifteenth Conference of the Parties, COP15 in Montreal in December.We have taken unprecedented steps to protect and restore biodiversity in England, not least through our world leading Environment Act, which requires a new, legally binding target to be set in England to halt the decline in species abundance by 2030, and introduces Biodiversity Net Gain, Local Nature Recovery Strategies and a strengthened biodiversity duty on public authorities to work together to protect our native species.We have also committed to protecting 30% of our land and sea by 2030 to better support and recover biodiversity, announcing a landmark designation programme to help realise this.

Per- and Polyfluorinated Alkyl Substances

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the potential merits of prohibiting all non-essential use of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).

Trudy Harrison: PFAS represent a group of thousands of chemicals, with hundreds used commercially across many sectors of industry and society. There is increasing evidence of the occurrence of PFAS in the environment and, once in the environment, PFAS are persistent. There is also growing concern regarding the risks to human health. Action has already been taken to ban or highly restrict specific PFAS both domestically and internationally. However, PFAS represent a very diverse group of chemicals with a wide range of uses for which safer and more sustainable alternatives are not yet available – making this a very challenging issue to tackle. Work is underway across government to help us assess levels of PFAS occurring in the environment, their sources and potential risks to inform future policy and regulatory approaches. In the UK REACH Work Programme for 2021-22, Defra asked the EA and HSE to examine the risks posed by PFAS and develop a ‘Regulatory Management Options Analysis’ (RMOA). The RMOA will be published in due course and will make recommendations for risk management measures. Defra and the Devolved Administrations will carefully consider its recommendations to inform future PFAS policy, building on the commitment in the 25 Year Environment Plan to tackle chemicals of concern.

Nature Conservation: EU Law

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make it his policy to retain the nature protections contained within the EU Habitats Directive in UK law beyond December 2023; and if he will make a statement.

Trudy Harrison: We have been clear about the importance of environmental protection across the United Kingdom, not least through our world leading Environment Act, which includes a legally binding target to halt the decline of nature by 2030. We are committed to meeting this target and will not undermine our obligations to the environment in pursuit of growth. Earlier this year we published a Nature Recovery Green Paper, setting out proposals to reform our system of protections, including the Habitats Regulations. The Nature Recovery Green Paper consultation closed in May and we are now in the process of analysing responses with our response to be published in due course. My department is carefully considering the scope of the delegated powers in the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill, and whether they can be used to deliver a better, bespoke British system of nature protections to replace the provisions in the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017 (as amended).

Environment Protection

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to his Department’s press release on 22 September, entitled UK government to set its own laws for its own people as Brexit Freedoms Bill introduced, if he will make it his policy to strengthen the UK’s environmental standards by (a) incorporating climate change into the habitats regulations and (b) ruling out development in or impacting directly on important sites for nature.

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make it his policy to ensure that current legal requirements derived from the European Union (a) Habitats Directive, (b) Environmental Impact Assessment Directive and (c) Strategic Environmental Assessment Directive for developers to carry out (i) wildlife surveys and (ii) environmental assessments of qualifying development sites will (A) be retained in UK law beyond December 2023 and (B) apply in Investment Zones; and if he will make a statement.

Scott Mann: Nature is in need of our help, so HM Government has set a legally binding target to halt its decline by 2030. In March this year, we published the Nature Recovery Green Paper setting out our proposals to reform our system of protections to better support this ambitious work, including the Habitats Regulations. The Green Paper is available here. Our proposals seek to create a system that better reflects the latest science and impending impacts of climate change, our domestic species and habitats, and helps us to achieve our significant goals to recover nature. The Nature Recovery Green Paper consultation closed on 11th May and we are now in the process of analysing responses. HM Government will publish a formal response in due course.

Home Office

Domestic Abuse: Cost of Living

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 11 October 2022 to Question 55112 on Domestic Abuse: Cost of Living, what proportion of the £230 million will be spent in (a) Newcastle and (b) the North East.

Chris Philp: The cross-Government Tackling Domestic Abuse Plan invested over £230 million of cross-government funding into tackling this terrible issue.This includes a £75 million investment for tackling perpetrators, including multi-year funding for perpetrator interventions. Perpetrator programmes aim to help change or disrupt offenders’ behaviour and they can help to stop offenders from committing a crime or from reoffending. For example, in the current financial year, we awarded grants totalling £791,822.48 to Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) in the North East for perpetrator interventions, including the Drive Project. This includes funding given to Northumbria, Durham and North Yorkshire.In the Tackling Domestic Abuse Plan, the Home Office announced it would increase funding so that the Children Affected by Domestic Abuse Fund receives more than £4 million to organisations providing specialist support within the community to children who are experiencing domestic abuse.

Prostitution

Dame Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people were (a) arrested, (b) charged and (c) convicted under section 53A of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 in 2021; and what penalty was imposed in cases of conviction.

Chris Philp: The Home Office collects and publishes data on arrests carried out by police forces in England and Wales, broken down by broader offence group (e.g. “sexual offences”). However, data is not held on the legislation under which the arrest was made. The most recent data on arrests is available here: Police powers and procedures: Stop and search and arrests, England and Wales, year ending 31 March 2022 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).The Home Office also publishes data on police recorded crime outcomes. In 2021, there were 40 charges for Soliciting for the Purpose of Prostitution offences. Data on specific sub-offences, including relating to s.53A, are not available. Further data related to charges and recorded crimes can be found in the published open data tables: Police recorded crime and outcomes open data tables - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).The Home Office does not hold data on convictions or penalties imposed following arrest. Data on criminal justice statistics are published by MoJ, available here: Criminal justice statistics quarterly - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

Gender Based Violence

Simon Lightwood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to tackle violence against women and girls.

Chris Philp: Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) is a government priority. VAWG is an unacceptable, preventable issue which blights the lives of millions.We have made significant progress since we published the Tackling VAWG Strategy in July 2021, including action to tackle the causes of these crimes. We have:supported the introduction of a new full-time National Policing Lead for VAWG, DCC Maggie Blyth, to help strengthen the police response;ratified the Istanbul Convention on 21 July 2022, demonstrating to women in the UK and to our partners overseas our commitment to tackling VAWG;launched our national communications campaign, ‘Enough’, to challenge the harmful behaviours that exist within wider society, educate young people about healthy relationships and consent, and ensure victims can recognise abuse and receive support. Phase two of the campaign started on 25 October;announced we will add VAWG to the Strategic Policing Requirement meaning it will be set out as a national threat for forces to respond to alongside other threats such as terrorism, serious and organised crime and child sexual abuse;allocated £55 million to communities through the Safer Streets Fund and Safety of Women at Night Fund, including for extra CCTV, streetlighting and work to change attitudes and work to preventing VAWG in public spaces at night;published a refreshed National Statement of Expectations and accompanying VAWG Commissioning Toolkit to outline the activity that local areas should undertake to ensure victims and survivors of VAWG get the help and support they need;criminalised virginity testing, to send a clear message that this practice is wholly unacceptable in our society;appointed joint Transport Champions to help make public transport safer for women and girls; andpiloted a tool, StreetSafe, which enables the public to anonymously report areas where they feel unsafe.In addition, in May 2022, the Home Office launched a competition on What Works to prevent violence against women and girls. This will provide multi-year funding to providers and be accompanied by extensive evaluation to increase our understanding of what works.

Sexual Harassment

Ms Harriet Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when his department plans to publish its response to the public sexual harassment consultation that closed on 1 September 2022.

Chris Philp: The Government is committed to tackling public sexual harassment and as such on the 25th October, we were delighted to launch the second stage of our ‘Enough’ communications campaign. This new stage includes a range of new communications assets across television, social media, digital advertising and other channels, which look to advise and give bystanders practical tips on how they can safely take action to stop violence against women and girls.We are grateful for all the responses received to the consultation on whether there should be a public sexual harassment offence, and Ministers will make clear their position on the issue as soon as possible.

Home Office: Correspondence

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will take steps to improve his Department's response times to enquiries from Rt hon. and hon. Members.

Chris Philp: The Department works to a target of responding to 95% of Hon. Member’s written correspondence within 20 working days.Performance against target has been impacted by an unprecedented increase in MPs queries following the Afghan evacuation, Ukraine crisis and HM Passport Office application surge.We now have an operational plan to fully recover our position and I will shortly be writing to all Members setting these plans in more detail including timescales for delivery.

Home Office: Official Secrets

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has shared information classified as (a) official, (b) secret and (c) top secret with individuals not authorised to receive it.

Suella Braverman: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Home Office: Email

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, in how many instances she has shared official information given to her in her capacity as Secretary of State for the Home Department through her private e-mail address.

Suella Braverman: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Immigration

Sir Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have completed the ten year route to settlement since 2012.

Robert Jenrick: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Refugees: Ukraine

Caroline Nokes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will reinstate the security checking DBS service for Ukrainian refugees seeking employment in childcare settings.

Chris Philp: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Members: Correspondence

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when her Department will respond to the correspondence of 21 September 2022 from the hon. Member for Liverpool, Walton on Arjeta Kulli.

Robert Jenrick: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Migrants: Detainees

Dame Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have been detained at the Manston immigration facility in each month since January 2022; and in each month, how many were (a) women and (b) children.

Robert Jenrick: Home Office does not hold the data in the format requested.

Overseas Students

Dame Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Higher Education Policy Institute's 2022 soft-power index, what assessment he has made of the effect on the UK's soft power of restricting the number of international students in UK universities.

Robert Jenrick: Our offer to international students is extremely competitive and ensures that we continue to attract the best and brightest students from around the world.The Government’s International Education Strategy set out a target of attracting 600,000 international Higher Education students to the UK by 2030, which we have achieved almost a decade early. The public also rightly expects us to control immigration and ensure we have a system that works in the UK’s best interests. As the Growth Plan set out, the Government is looking at how immigration contributes to growth and will set out further details in due course.

Visas: Applications

Sir Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of people who have limited leave to remain in the UK and are awaiting a decision on a visa extension application are on the ten-year route to settlement.

Robert Jenrick: We do not hold any information regarding the proportion of people who have limited leave to remain in the UK and are awaiting a decision on a visa extension application are on the ten-year route to settlement.

Offences against Children: Rochdale

Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what progress her Department has made on the deportations of members of the Rochdale Grooming Gang; and if she will make a statement.

Robert Jenrick: This Government has always been clear that the crimes committed by the Rochdale child sexual exploitation group, who preyed on the young and vulnerable, have no place in our society. We are determined to pursue all legal options against these perpetrators, to protect the victims of these appalling crimes and a make our communities safer. While we understand the public interest in these cases, we do not routinely comment on individual cases. We will continue to keep the victims informed through the proper channels.

Visas: Iran

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what her policy is on expediting the visa applications of Iranian residents sponsored by UK citizens or residents.

Robert Jenrick: UKVI aims to process all visa applications in line with our customer service standards. Details of customer service standards for each visa route, along with the latest wait times, can be found at Visa decision waiting times: applications outside the UK - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).Priority visa services are available in many overseas locations. However, we are currently unable to offer a priority service to customers in Iran due to courier delivery times.UKVI understands that the impact of delays to customers is significant; resources are focused on reducing the current processing times and UKVI will continue to prioritise urgent compelling or compassionate cases across all visa routes.

Immigration

Sir Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the 2012 expansion to the ten year route to settlement on (a) levels of immigration and (b) immigrant integration.

Robert Jenrick: We are in the process of simplifying the immigration system, including the ten-year routes to settlement. As part of this simplification the impact of existing policies will be taken into account.

Immigration: Fees and Charges

Sir Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will introduce a fee waiver for applications for Indefinite Leave to Remain, in the context of increases in the number of people completing the ten year route to settlement.

Robert Jenrick: There are currently no plans to introduce a fee waiver for Indefinite Leave to Remain.Fees charged are kept under review. Income from fees charged plays a vital role in the Home Office’s ability to run a sustainable Migration and Borders system and it is the government’s policy that those who use and benefit most from the immigration system should contribute towards the cost of operating the system, reducing the burden on the UK taxpayer

Migrants: Employment

Emma Hardy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the performance of the Employer Checking Service.

Robert Jenrick: Additional staff and investment has been made into the Employer checking service in 2022. This has increased capacity for checks and improved response times, which have returned to within the Service Level Agreement in the second quarter of 2022.

Drugs: Crime

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of reports that the UN Office on Drugs and Crime registered a 43 percent increase in coca cultivation in Colombia in 2021 on drug-related crime in the UK.

Chris Philp: The threats to the UK from illicit drugs and the implications of these threats for law enforcement are kept under regular assessment.In December 2021, the Government launched its ten-year drugs plan to cut crime and save lives. As part of this, £300 million has been allocated to fund activity to break drug supply chains from end-to-end.This includes restricting upstream flow by expanding the networks of the National Crime Agency and Border Force officers posted to source and transit countries, ensuring we remain agile in the face of changing threats.Alongside a strong law enforcement response, the UK is leveraging its diplomatic and overseas policy networks to secure political support from other governments and build our partners’ capacity to address the critical enablers of drug supplies into the UK.

Police National Computer

Sir Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department has taken to ensure the safety, security and reliability of technology (a) during and (b) following the upgrade of the Police National Computer; what processes have been followed to ensure value for money from money spent from the public purse on adopting a new computer system for the police; and if she will make a statement.

Chris Philp: The Police National Computer (PNC) hardware and software support contracts have been extended through to March 2026 to ensure the continued safety, security, and reliability of this nationally critical operational policing data service.The upgrade of the PNC mainframe computer hardware completed in August 2022. 19 of 21 recommendations resulting from the Lord Hogan-Howe review into the ongoing support and protection of the PNC service have been closed with the remaining 2 recommendations anticipated to be closed in the coming weeks.The replacement of the PNC with a new and modern Law Enforcement Data Service (LEDS) has commenced with some services already live and being used by policing. The replacement is planned to complete in 2025, allowing PNC to be retired in advance of its formal end of life.LEDS is delivered via a diverse supply chain including a combination of civil service and contingent labour, Home Office central contracts and 3rd party contract mechanisms each of which are fully underpinned by formal commercial governance supported by the both the Home Office Commercial Directorate and by the Cabinet Office, ensuring fair and open competitive tendering processes.

Members: Correspondence

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to respond to the correspondence from the hon. Member for Walton of 26 September 2022 on Waleed Hassan Mubarak Ali Bin Salem.

Robert Jenrick: I apologise for the delay. UK Visas and Immigration, MP Account Management team responded on 27 October 2022

Biometric Residence Permits: Overseas Students

Caroline Nokes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Tier 4 student visa holders were waiting for their biometric residence permit to be processed as of 21 October 2022; and what the average wait was for a biometric residence permit for a Tier 4 student visa holder in the latest period for which data is available.

Caroline Nokes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Tier 2 work visa holders were waiting for their biometric residence permit to be processed as of 21 October 2022; and what the average wait was for a biometric residence permit for a Tier 2 work visa holder in the latest period for which data is available.

Robert Jenrick: The waiting times for biometric residence permits (BRP) are dictated by the BRP production and delivery processes.We aim to deliver a BRP within 7 working days of the immigration decision. BRPs are produced at the secure delivery facility (Driver and Vehicle Licencing Agency (DVLA)) within 48 hours of the production request being made and are collected by our secure delivery partner the same day. Our secure delivery partner (FedEx) aims to attempt to deliver the BRPs within 48 hours of receipt of the BRPs. This equates to a minimum of 5 working days from date of production request being made to delivery of the BRP. We have added an additional 2 working days to the timeline advised to applicants to allow us to resolve any production issues. In September, DVLA produced all BRPs within 48 hours of the production request, with 91.1% being produced within 24 hours. In September FedEx attempted to deliver 99.88% of BRPs within 48 hours.

Members: Correspondence

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when her Department plans to respond to the correspondence from the hon. Member for Tooting dated 7 September 2021 and 22 October 2021, reference RA39676.

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when her Department plans to respond to the correspondence from the hon. Member for Tooting dated 16 November 2021 and 10 January 2022, reference RA41202.

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when his Department plans to respond to the correspondence from the hon. Member for Tooting dated 25 January 2022 and 8 March 2022, reference RA42407.

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when his Department plans to respond to the correspondence from the hon. Member for Tooting dated 9 February 2022, reference RA42756.

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when his Department plans to respond to the correspondence from the hon. Member for Tooting dated 9 February 2022, reference RA42780.

Robert Jenrick: PQ 68577 – MPAM reference – MPAM/0182886/21 – The Home Office responded to the correspondence on 22 October 2022PQ 68578 – MPAM reference – MPAM/0206807/21 – The Home Office responded to the correspondence on 24 October 2022PQ 68579 – MPAM reference – MPAM/0238224/22 – The Home Office responded to the correspondence on 22 October 2022PQ 68580 – MPAM reference – MPAM/0246213/22 – The Home Office responded to the correspondence on 24 October 2022PQ 68581 – MPAM reference – MPAM/0245980/22 – The Home Office responded to the correspondence on 24 October 2022

National Crime Agency: Crown Dependencies and Gibraltar

Stephen Kinnock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his Department’s policies of the Memorandum of Understanding with Guernsey, Jersey, the Isle of Man and Gibraltar on information and intelligence-sharing with the National Crime Agency; what the terms of information and intelligence-sharing under that Memorandum are; and if he will make a statement.

Tom Tugendhat: The Memorandum of Understanding between the NCA and the Quad Island Forum of Financial Intelligence Units has been agreed to facilitate sharing between the UK Public Private Partnership (PPP) on Economic Crime, the Joint Money Laundering Intelligence Taskforce (JMLIT), and the PPPs in Guernsey, Gibraltar, Isle of Man and Jersey.This agreement will enable the respective PPPs to share information and intelligence, strengthening the effectiveness of our cross-jurisdictional response to economic crime.

Members: Correspondence

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when his Department plans to respond to the correspondence from the hon. Member for Tooting dated 14 February 2022, reference RA42868.

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when her Department plans to respond to correspondence of 18 February 2022 from the hon. Member for Tooting, reference RA42827.

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when her Department plans to respond to correspondence of 24 February 2022 from the hon. Member for Tooting, reference RA 43020.

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when his Department plans to respond to the correspondence from the hon. Member for Tooting dated 15 March, reference RA43402.

Robert Jenrick: PQ 68582 – The Home Office, UK Visas and Immigration, MP Account Management (MPAM) team and Direct Communications Unit (DCU) have no trace of this enquiry.PQ 68583 – MPAM reference – MPAM/0250345/22 – The Home Office responded to the correspondence on 24 October 2022PQ 68584 – MPAM reference – MPAM/0252962/22 – The Home Office responded to the correspondence on 24 October 2022PQ 68585 – MPAM reference – MPAM/0262979/22 – The Home Office responded to the correspondence on 24 October 2022

Sadhvi Rithambara

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions his Department has had with the Indian government on the cancelled visit to the UK by Indian political activist Sadhvi Rithambara.

Tom Tugendhat: The Home Office does not comment on individual cases.The Home Secretary can exclude a foreign national where it is conducive to the public good. The Immigration Rules also provide for the refusal of entry clearance or leave to enter at the border if a person’s character, conduct or associations mean it is undesirable to grant them entry to the United Kingdom.

Visas: Politicians

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that visa applications to the UK for political speaking tours take account of any security implications in the context of recent communal violence in Leicester.

Tom Tugendhat: All foreign nationals seeking entry to the UK must satisfy either an entry clearance officer overseas, or an immigration officer at the port of arrival, that they fully meet the requirements of the Immigration Rules in the category of entry sought.They must demonstrate that they have not brought themselves within scope of the general grounds for refusal as set out in the Immigration Rules. In addition, any individual whose presence in the UK is not judged conducive to the public good will be refused entry.

Visas: Applications

Sir Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to increase the speed of processing limited leave to remain visa extension applications.

Robert Jenrick: We are committed to ensuring our operational teams have the resources they need to run an efficient and effective system, and we actively monitor workflows to ensure sufficient resources are in place to meet demand. The Home Office is currently re-allocating resources following the conclusion of the seasonal student visa application surge, with the aim of ensuring all routes are processed in a timely fashion. Information on family visa processing times for applications made inside the UK can be found here: Visa decision waiting times: applications inside the UK - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

Social Rented Housing: Rents

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to the consultation on a proposed social housing rent cap in the 2023-24 financial year, when he will announce the outcome of that consultation.

Felicity Buchan: Our consultation closed on 12 October 2022. We will respond in due course.

Access to Elected Office for Disabled People Fund and EnAble Fund for Elected Office

Helen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to the Access to Elected Office and EnAble funds scheme, when that scheme will begin operating; and how long it will operate for.

Helen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, when details of the funding arrangements for the (a) Access to Elected Office and (b) EnAble Fund for Elected Office schemes will be made available.

Felicity Buchan: It is the Government’s ambition to see more disabled people in public office and is taking positive action to promote disabled people’s participation in public life, including working directly with parties and protecting disabled people through the Equality Act 2010.Building on the experience of the Access to Elected Office fund and the EnAble fund, DLUHC with the LGA launched a new scheme in April 2022, to support those seeking to become candidates in local elections.We have been clear that the responsibility for supporting disabled candidates sits with political parties and that the EnAble Fund was an interim measure to give parties time to put their own support in place.

Capital Investment

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether it is his Department's policy to develop investment zones.

Lee Rowley: Announcements on policy will be made in the usual way.

Housing: Construction

Mr Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how many housing units were built in each (a) local authority area and (b) region of England in each year since 2009; and what proportion of those units was assessed as being affordable housing in each year since 2009.

Lee Rowley: The National Statistics on number of housing units built in each local authority is published in Live Table 123, and for each region of England is published in Live Table 118. These tables can both be found here. The components of net additional dwellings by local authority (Live Table 123) are available from 2012-13 onwards only.The National Statistics on the number of affordable housing units built in each local authority and region of England is published in Affordable Housing supply statistics open data. This can be found here.

Planning Inspectorate: Staff

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, pursuant to the answer of 24 October to Question 64116 Planning Inspectorate: Staff, how many planning inspectors were employed at the planning inspectorate at the end of (a) 2018, (b) 2019, (c) 2020 and (d) 2021.

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, pursuant to the answer of 24 October to Question 64119 on Planning: Inspections, how many cases within the planning inspectorate were waiting for a planning inspector to be assigned at the end of (a) 2018, (b) 2019, (c) 2020 and (d) 2021.

Lucy Frazer: The headcount and FTE of Planning Inspectors employed by the Planning Inspectorate as at 31 December of each year was as follows:Year2018201920202021Inspector Headcount299357345361Inspector FTE263.2319.5308.1322.8The number of valid appeal cases waiting a planning inspector to be assigned at 01 December of each year was as below. The data for 2018 and 2019 are not held centrally in the requested format.Year2018201920202021--4,1606,440

Buildings: Repairs and Maintenance

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps his Department is taking to encourage developers that have not yet signed the building safety repairs pledge to do so.

Lucy Frazer: The Government expects all developers to do the right thing, irrespective of whether they have signed the building safety repairs pledge. We are in ongoing discussions with several developers who have not signed the pledge and will invite them to sign the finalised self-remediation contract.We have made clear that developers who fail to do the right thing face significant commercial consequences. In August, we made commencement regulations that are an important step towards giving Ministers powers to stop developers who fail to do the right thing from commencing developments for which they have planning permission and from being granted building control sign-off.

Doncaster Sheffield Airport: Freeports

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will review the decision not to award Freeport status to Gateway East in Doncaster in order to support the continued operation of Doncaster Sheffield Airport.

Dehenna Davison: The Department launched the Freeports competition on 16 November 2020. Bids were assessed by expert officials in line with the requirements set out in the prospectus. In the Spring budget 2021 the Chancellor announced eight successful bidders in England. A copy of the decision making note can be found online .

UK Shared Prosperity Fund: Universities

Geraint Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he is taking steps to help tackle the potential loss of university business support and enterprise activity following the transition of local funding from EU programmes to the UK Shared Prosperity Fund

Dehenna Davison: The UK Shared Prosperity Fund is not a direct replacement for EU structural funds. It focuses on UK priorities by giving more direct accountability to elected local leaders.The UKSPF will enable local decision making and better target the priorities of places within the UK, with investment priorities focused on community and place, supporting local businesses and people and skills. The UKSPF prospectus is available here.

Wildlife

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of introducing investment zones on wildlife.

Lee Rowley: The published expression of interest guidance has been clear that applications which refuse to commit, in principle, to mitigate environmental impacts on or off site will not proceed. We are considering next steps on Investment Zones and will provide further details in due course.

Housing: Key Workers

Liz Twist: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to UNISON’s report entitled a decent place to live: Homes Fit for Key Workers, published in July 2021, what recent assessment he has made of the findings of that report.

Lee Rowley: In terms of housing and social housing, the Government has a clear set of policies:Build more social and affordable homes, including a further £11.5 billion of taxpayer funded grant to support that endeavour in the coming years. We are also using the programme to fund a First Homes pilot to help key workers and local first-time buyers on the property ladder. It will offer homes at a discount of at least 30% compared to market price.Support the delivery of the new model for Shared Ownership and extend it as widely as possible through the Affordable Homes Programme.Maintain the Right to Buy scheme for social housing tenants, which has helped over 2 million to become homeowners since 1980. We believe that anybody who works hard across the country and aspires to own their own home should have the opportunity to realise that dream.

Local Government: Capital Investment

Christopher Pincher: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment he has made of the effect of Investment Zones on those local authorities neighbouring Investment Zones; and what steps he will take to ensure that those neighbouring local authorities are not adversely affected economically by those Zones.

Lee Rowley: We want to empower places to deliver proposals that are right for their area. Places were required to set out the local economic impact of their plans and how they would avoid displacement, in the EOI.While DLUHC is currently assessing those proposals received, the precise number of Zones will depend on factors, such as their overall geographic spread and the fiscal cost of the programme.Further information will be set out in due course.

Leasehold: Reform

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to the Communities, Housing and Local Government Committee's report on leasehold reform, published in March 2019, whether his Department plans to implement the recommendations for a Code of Practice to ensure (a) local authorities provide evidence to leaseholders that they are receiving the same value from procurement practices in the public sector as they might reasonably expect in the private sector and (b) public procurement rules are not being used for overcharging.

Lee Rowley: The Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 is clear that service charges must be reasonable, and where costs relate to work or services, the work or services must be of a reasonable standard. Leaseholders may make an application to the appropriate tribunal to challenge the reasonableness of their service charges.We are committed to better protecting and empowering leaseholders by giving them more information on what their costs pay for. This will help them more effectively challenge their landlord if they consider their fees are unreasonable. We are due to bring forward further leasehold reforms later in this parliament.

Housing

Liz Twist: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, when he will announce his future policy on housing; and if he will make a statement.

Lee Rowley: Ministers will ensure that the House is updated on policy announcements in the usual way.

Geothermal Power

Cherilyn Mackrory: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he has made an assessment with Cabinet colleagues of the potential merits of (a) removing the prohibition on drilling access rights for land between the surface and 300 metres and (b) using such land to produce geothermal energy.

Lee Rowley: The Infrastructure Act 2015 established that a person has a right to use deep-level land for the purposes of exploiting geothermal energy. These provisions were limited to deep-level land exceeding 300m.In limiting this unrestricted right to depths below 300m, the Government sought to ensure that the right of use applied only at depths where it would not affect landowners' use of their land, but that would be shallow enough to enable the industries to develop in a responsible way.Following Royal Assent of the Infrastructure Act 2015, no further assessment has been made of establishing an equivalent right for land between the surface and 300m.

Scotland Office

Lord Advocate

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what representations his Department has received from the Scottish Government on the role of the Lord Advocate.

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, whether his Department has received a request from the Scottish Government to amend the Scotland Act 1998 in respect of the role of the Lord Advocate.

Mr Alister Jack: Neither I nor my Department have received any representations from the Scottish Government on the role of the Lord Advocate or amending the Scotland Act 1998 in respect of the role of the Lord Advocate.

Scotland Office: Location

Florence Eshalomi: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what payments were made to civil servants in his Department for relocation costs to government offices outside London in 2021.

Mr Alister Jack: None. The Scotland Office made no relocation payments to staff in 2021.

Department for International Trade

Energy Charter Treaty

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether her Department has made an assessment of the likelihood of an investor state dispute settlement claim being made against the UK under the Energy Charter Treaty.

Greg Hands: The Department for International Trade has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Trade Agreements: India

Ms Anum Qaisar: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, when her Department plans to conclude Free Trade Agreement negotiations with India.

Greg Hands: Negotiations are ongoing with India. To date, there have been five formal rounds of talks. We have provisionally closed the majority of chapters in our free trade agreement talks with India and look forward to a next formal round of negotiations soon. The Government is clear that it won’t sacrifice quality for speed. We will continue to review progress, and only sign when we have a deal that is fair, reciprocal, and ultimately in the best interests of the British people and the economy.

Trade Agreements: India

Ms Anum Qaisar: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what representations her Department made to Indian negotiators on India’s human rights record during free trade agreement negotiations.

Greg Hands: The UK is a leading advocate for human rights around the world. We remain committed to the promotion of universal human rights, and when we have concerns they are raised directly with partner governments, including at ministerial level. This is undertaken separately to negotiations of free trade agreements, although they are part of building open and trusting relationships with important partners.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Mortgages: Private Rented Housing

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture and Media, what assessment she has made of trends in the level of landlords converting a private home purchased under a buy-to-let mortgage to a short term holiday let.

Julia Lopez: There is a lack of data and evidence about the size and shape of the short term lets sector, which is why DCMS issued a call for evidence on the benefits and challenges presented by the rise in short-term and holiday letting.The call for evidence ran from 29 June to 21 September and analysis of the 4,000 responses is now underway.We wanted to hear from a wide range of stakeholders, including local authorities, in order to build a much-needed evidence base on these issues and enable us to develop proportionate policy options for a possible future consultation.With the call for evidence now closed, we will now consider the evidence collected and look to provide updates to the sector over the coming months regarding next steps.

Holiday Accommodation: Registration

Selaine Saxby: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if she will publish the outcome of the consultation on developing a tourist accommodation registration scheme in England.

Julia Lopez: The Government has not yet published a consultation on developing a tourist accommodation registration scheme in England.In June, DCMS issued a call for evidence on the benefits and challenges presented by the rise in short-term and holiday letting seen in England over the last 10 to 15 years. This will inform the development of appropriate policy options, which the government intends to consult on later in 2022. The call for evidence closed on 21 September and we are now carefully analysing 4,000 responses to this exercise, which will help inform next steps.

UK City of Culture: Bradford

Imran Hussain: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what funding her Department has provided to the Bradford UK City of Culture 2025 programme as of 24 October 2022; and what additional funding her Department plans to provide to that programme.

Stuart Andrew: DCMS is providing Bradford UK City of Culture 2025 with £275,000 seed funding (awarded on 31 May). The grant has facilitated recruitment for senior roles and early engagement with local communities. DCMS is working with the Bradford team to determine the additional funding requirement subject to the successful approval of a business case.

Sport: Females

John Howell: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the debate entitled The fight for a level playing field – ending discrimination against women in sport, which took place at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on 13 October 2022.

Stuart Andrew: The Government is committed to supporting women's sport at every opportunity - pushing for greater participation, employment, commercial opportunities and visibility in the media. We appreciate the increased focus the Council of Europe has given to all these aspects.There is no place for discrimination anywhere, it is completely unacceptable. There are some fantastic initiatives that exist to encourage women to take up sport and physical activity, for example Sport England’s This Girl Can campaign, which has already inspired millions of women and girls to get active regardless of shape, size and ability. The Code for Sports Governance also requires national governing bodies to agree a diversity and inclusion action plan (DIAP) with Sport England and UK Sport. It is important that we make progress in the wider culture of sport to ensure women’s sport is treated equally to men’s at all levels.

Religious Buildings: VAT

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make it her policy to ensure spending on repairs and renovations to listed places of worship are permanently exempt from VAT to enable conservation of heritage sites.

Stuart Andrew: The Government recognises that listed places of worship represent some of the nation's finest heritage, and that there are particular burdens to the upkeep of such spiritual architecture. The Government funded Listed Place of Worship Grant Scheme aims to support the works by giving grants that cover the VAT incurred in making repairs to listed buildings in use as places of worship. This supports the effective conservation of these sites.In 2012, my Department and the Treasury became joint funders, with annual funding increased up to £42 million per annum. I am pleased to confirm this amount of funding has been secured for the current spending period until 31st March 2025. Whilst the government cannot confirm this funding permanently, my officials remain in close contact with the sector and are aware of the ongoing need for support for this scheme.

Arts Council England: Investment

Lucy Powell: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, for what reason the announcement of the Arts Council England investment programme for 2023 to 2026 was delayed.

Stuart Andrew: After careful consideration of the potential impact, my Department agreed with ACE to delay the announcement of its 2023-26 investment programme. I can now confirm the new date for the announcement is Friday 4 November and that this has been agreed with ACE.I recognise that this delay caused some uncertainty for organisations in the short term but I am confident that this will be minimal as the investment programme begins on 1 April 2023.

Arts Council England: Investment

Barbara Keeley: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with Arts Council England on the potential impact of delaying the announcement of its 2023-26 investment programme on arts organisations.

Barbara Keeley: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, why her Department met with Arts Council England to discuss delaying the announcement of the 2023-26 investment programme; and if she will make a statement.

Barbara Keeley: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has had discussions with Arts Council England on announcing a new date for its 2023-26 investment programme.

Barbara Keeley: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what funding she will allocate to National Portfolio Organisations through Arts Council England in (a) 2023-2024, (b) 2024-2025, (c) 2025-2026 and (d) 2026-2027.

Stuart Andrew: As the Minister responsible for arts and culture, I regularly meet with the Arts Council England (ACE), who are an arms-length body of my Department. After careful consideration of the potential impact, my Department agreed with ACE to delay the announcement of its 2023-26 investment programme. I can now confirm the new date for the announcement is Friday 4 November and that this has been agreed with ACE.I recognise that this delay caused some uncertainty for organisations in the short term but I am confident that this will be minimal as the investment programme begins on 1 April 2023.Individual funding allocations to organisations in the Investment Programme are always a matter for ACE and all of these funding decisions are taken at arm’s-length from the government. The primary funding source for the ACE investment programme is non-ring fenced Grant-in-Aid provided by DCMS. As set out on its website, and in the ‘Addendum to the Guidance for Applicants’, ACE’s average annual budget for this investment round is £428 million, and it will receive a 2% uplift to the total budget compared with the 2018-22 investment programme. However, it is important to note that ACE uses other funding sources for its investments, for example Lottery funding.The total funding allocated to organisations in the 2023-26 Investment programme will be set out in the announcement on 4 November 2022.I commit to update the House with further details in due course.

Arts: Females

Janet Daby: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the depiction of women in artworks exhibited in art galleries in receipt of funding from her Department.

Stuart Andrew: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 28th October 2022 to Question UIN 71270.Art galleries operate independently from the government. Decisions related to the content of exhibitions, such as curatorial decisions on the depiction of women in artworks, are operational matters for the galleries.

Charities: Lotteries

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has plans to review the cap on how much charity lotteries can donate to causes per year.

Stuart Andrew: Large society lotteries raised a record £402 million for good causes between April 2020 and March 2021. Currently, society lotteries must return a minimum of 20% of ticket sales revenue per draw to good causes, but there is no cap on annual donations. The current average return to good causes stands at 46%.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport: Location

Florence Eshalomi: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what payments were made to civil servants in her Department for relocation costs to government offices outside London in 2021.

Julia Lopez: DCMS did not make any payments to Civil Servants to support relocation costs in 2021.